New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has confirmed he is exploring whether his administration can arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. In an interview with the New York Times podcast "The Interview" aired on Saturday, Mamdani stated he is in "active conversation" with the city's law department regarding the legal authority to detain a foreign leader.
Mamdani Cites ICC Warrant
Mamdani referenced the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant issued in November 2024, accusing Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," Mamdani said, adding, "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court." The mayor emphasized that his actions would be bound by law: "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do. But we won't be writing our own laws to that end."
Legal and Political Hurdles
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani characterized Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and vowed to order the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu. However, legal experts cited by the New York Times noted that such an arrest would be a "practical impossibility" and could conflict with the U.S. federal government. The U.S. is not a party to the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction. In February 2025, President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions on the ICC, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to "dismantle" the court.
Netanyahu and Israeli Officials Respond
Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election campaign in October, dismissed the arrest threats in a radio interview, saying he was not concerned. He also alleged Mamdani supports Hamas, an accusation the mayor denies. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mamdani of failing to confront rising antisemitism in New York, while Mamdani countered that he increased funding for an office to combat hate crimes. Danon stated, "Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride." Trump's UN Ambassador Mike Waltz called Mamdani's threat "pure political theater."
Shifting Political Landscape
Mamdani's stance reflects a broader shift within the Democratic Party. In a recent House vote, close to half of Democrats supported stripping $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, though the measure failed. Mamdani noted that the war in Gaza is motivating voters, as seen when his endorsed candidates swept House races in New York in June. He criticized U.S. policy, saying, "It is hard to find a more bankrupt policy approach than what our country has done to Gaza and to Palestine."
