Reporter asks Mamdani if he would have sought arrest of Hamas leaders

Some Jewish groups have noted that in your video, you didn't include a reference to October 7th or Hamas leaders who carried out that attack.And it's not easy always to pin you down on this subject, forgive me, but because there aren't many perfect analogies to draw.For instance, not all world leaders or alleged war criminals have ICC warrants or they're not planning to come to the UN General Assembly or perhaps they're dead.So my question is that Would you, if circumstances were different, would you have vowed to arrest the leaders of Hamas who perpetrated the October 7th attack if they were visiting New York?And if so, why not include something about that to show New Yorkers that you're presenting a more balanced approach?Why not include that in your video?

Didn't the ICC put forward a warrant for Yahya Sinwar?

I mean, I know he's dead.

Yes, but my point is that they did.And in the video, I made very clear, as I have before, that my interest in executing that warrant is not specific to Benjamin Netanyahu, but to anyone who they put a warrant towards for war crimes and crimes against humanity.And part of that is a reflection of a universal politics.And it is from a universal politics that I can look in October 7th and describe it for what it is, which is a horrific war crime.And I can also look at Benjamin Netanyahu and see the way that he has orchestrated this genocide and also deem him to similarly be a war criminal.And I think especially at a time when there are those in Washington who are discussing measures to take apart the International Criminal Court, what so many are looking for is a sense that there is, in fact, a rule of law.

across the world where there are crimes that are so grave that they offend all of humanity.And I believe that we should hold those who perpetrate them accountable, no matter who they are or what they do.And when it comes to the ICC, they've put forward warrants, whether it's Yahia Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu, I think a few other members of the Israeli government.I believe that all of them should be honored.