New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated on Tuesday that while he lacks the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he is formally calling on the US federal government to do so if the prime minister visits the country later this year. Mamdani, who previously pledged to consider such an arrest during his mayoral campaign last year, confirmed that his administration has thoroughly reviewed all available legal avenues regarding the enforcement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
In a video shared on social media, the mayor characterized Netanyahu as the "architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people" and a "war criminal." Mamdani expressed his support for the ICC warrant issued in 2024, noting his belief that the prime minister belongs in The Hague. "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani explained, while urging federal authorities to join the ICC and carry out the directive. He further stated that Netanyahu is "not welcome in New York City," along with any other war criminal at large.
Netanyahu is currently expected to travel to New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly. When asked about the mayor's comments, the prime minister indicated he was "not concerned." The United States remains a nation that does not recognize the ICC's authority and is not a party to the court.
The mayor's stance prompted a sharp rebuke from Donald Trump, who declared in a social media post that Netanyahu "will not be arrested" while on American soil. Trump defended the Israeli leader, asserting that he is "fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran" and suggested that the only individuals who should face arrest are those responsible for leading Iran into what he described as an "unprecedented spiral of death and destruction."
