NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Madmani walked back previous claims that he would order Prime Minister Netanyahu arrested if he tried to visit next year's UNGA in a recent interview on CNN.
"I have said time and time again that this is a city that believes in international law. This is a city that deserves to have our values reflected in our commitements," he said.
Regarding whether he would direct the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he came to the city, Zohran declared, "I think that our city should uphold the warrants that the International Criminal Court issues, whether for Benjamin Netanyahu or Valdimir Putin. Also, I am not Donald Trump. I will follow the laws as they are, not bend them to my will. We will pursue every legal avenue to make sure that accountability is present."
"This is a man that has orchestrated a genocide that has killed one Palestinian child every hour for close to two years," he accused. "This is someone whose conduct I hear about from New Yorkers across the Five Boroughs. They come to me with a horror as to what they have lost. A Palestinian New Yorker told me about losing 85 members of her family to the Israeli military in Gaza. It's unconcionable, and a mayor has a responsibility to the people of this city and an opportunity to show your values as the leader of this city."
Madmani has previously explicitly stated that he would comply with the arrest warrants against Netanyahu. His remarks follow a warning from President Trump that Madmani would need federal funding to complete any of his campaign promises.