NYC Cannot Arrest Netanyahu, But US Government Should, Says Zohran Mamdani

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said the city does not have the legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while calling on the US federal government to execute the warrant.

The clarification came in a video posted on X late Tuesday, after Mamdani had previously suggested the city was examining whether Netanyahu could be arrested if he travelled to New York. According to AP, Mamdani said the city does not have the independent legal authority to execute the arrest warrant, marking a shift from his earlier position that New York was exploring whether Netanyahu could be arrested if he visited the city.

“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in the video posted on X. “The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added.

Mamdani described the Israeli prime minister as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City.

“I want to be equally clear, Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he said.

AP reported that Mamdani had told The New York Times earlier this month that he and the city’s legal department were discussing arresting Netanyahu if he comes to New York City for the UN General Assembly in September.

US President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Monday that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” The post did not directly mention Mamdani.

In his Tuesday video, Mamdani said his administration had reviewed all avenues available and determined that the city could not execute the arrest warrant.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, responded by telling the mayor, “Enough.”

“You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda,” Danon said in a statement on social media. “Do your job!”

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in 2024, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza. According to AP, the court said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian aid and had intentionally targeted civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israeli officials have denied the allegations.