Professor of Law Cora True-Frost G’01, L’01, recently spoke with the Telegraph on the legal issues surrounding the New York City Mayor-elect’s statement that he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he traveled to New York City. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has stated that he would honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
True-Frost, the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence 2024-2027, said that while Mamdani’s pledge to arrest Netanyahu was “politically very significant,” it would be difficult to fulfil.
“Foreign affairs and policy are the exclusive power of the federal government, and this administration would almost certainly claim head of state immunity for Netanyahu,” True-Frost said.
“That the US is not a party to the ICC does not in itself preclude Americans from cooperating with the ICC, though this administration is hostile towards it and has sanctioned ICC staff. Were Netanyahu travelling to New York City to visit the United Nations, the Convention on Privileges and Immunities and the UN Headquarters Agreement which protect visiting diplomats from arrest would further constrain Mamdani’s ability to make good on this threat,” said True-Frost.