


Andrew Cuomo on Monday criticized Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani for saying that, if elected mayor, he would arrest Benjamin Netanyahu should the Israeli Prime Minister visit New York City.
If he wins next month’s election, Cuomo, the former governor of New York, said he would not enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu and noted whoever becomes mayor can’t legally do so.
Recommended Stories
- Cuomo says Mamdani victory 'a gift' for Trump to 'take over New York'
- Trump gives Earle-Sears the cold shoulder as he wades into Virginia races
- California's high-stakes redistricting fight raises $215 million
“It’s not even legal. It’s political theater,” the former New York governor said on Fox Business’s The Claman Countdown. “The ICC has no legal jurisdiction in New York. This is just political theater to make the point that he is pro-Gaza.”

The United States is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its authority.
Mamdani told the New York Times last month that, if elected, he would honor the ICC arrest warrant by ordering the New York City Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he came to the city. Netanyahu last visited New York City to speak at the U.N. General Assembly in late September.
During his campaign, Mamdani has been supportive of the pro-Palestinian cause but has also been accused of being anti-Israel and antisemitic, in part, due to his refusal to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many Jews see as a call to violence.
Cuomo acknowledged Mamdani’s stance on this issue, saying his opponent “won’t condemn the use of that term.”
“He’s 100% pro-Gaza, and he just keeps reinforcing that point whenever he can,” he concluded.
In contrast to Mamdani, Cuomo has consistently presented himself as strongly pro-Israel and has gained the support of Jewish groups as a result.
After Mayor Eric Adams dropped his reelection bid late last month, the Crown Heights United PAC and the Sephardic Community Federation were among the Jewish groups that endorsed Cuomo.
CUOMO SAYS MAMDANI VICTORY ‘A GIFT’ FOR TRUMP TO ‘TAKE OVER NEW YORK’
With one month to go until Election Day, the mayoral race is now down to Mamdani, Cuomo, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani is still leading in the polls, while Cuomo is trailing behind at a distant second in his independent bid. Sliwa is nowhere near either of the two candidates in numerous polls.