New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration examined whether authorities could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting. Mamdani made the comments in an interview published on Saturday.
Mamdani told The New York Times that he held an active conversation with the city’s Law Department. He stated that officials reviewed the mayor’s and the New York Police Department’s authority to act on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu.
Mamdani added that city officials would follow only what the law permitted in New York City. “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,” he said.
The mayor described Netanyahu as a war criminal charged by the International Criminal Court. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. He noted that the prime minister faced charges related to actions in Gaza.
Israeli officials responded sharply to Mamdani’s statements. Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticized the mayor and suggested that Mamdani should face consequences instead.
Legal experts and New York Governor Kathy Hochul indicated that such an arrest would face significant barriers. They cited the United States’ non-recognition of the ICC and diplomatic protections for visiting heads of state at the UN.
Netanyahu planned to attend the UN General Assembly session in September. Mamdani’s comments renewed debate over local enforcement of international warrants in the city. Supporters viewed the move as accountability for alleged war crimes, while critics raised concerns about diplomatic norms and rising tensions.
