New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said earlier today that he may still order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the PM visits the city in September for the United Nations General Assembly, though the mayor acknowledged legal constraints on his ability to do so.
In an interview published by The New York Times, Mamdani stated he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague” and is “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.” When pressed on whether he would follow through on his campaign pledge to arrest Netanyahu, Mamdani said he is having “an active conversation” with his legal department about what steps are permissible.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani told the Times. “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.”
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, which was unsealed in May 2026, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military operations in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attack. Netanyahu and the Israeli government have denied the allegations.
However, legal experts and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have said Mamdani’s pledge faces significant obstacles. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and US federal law prohibits local governments from cooperating with the court. Additionally, federal law protects foreign heads of state from arrest and imprisonment. According to the Times of Israel, legal experts have said Mamdani’s threat to arrest Netanyahu is “baseless.”
Mamdani was sworn in as the 111th mayor of New York City on January 1, 2026, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor. During his campaign, he vowed to direct the New York Police Department to enforce ICC arrest warrants against any leader wanted by the court, including Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Netanyahu has said he does not intend to be deterred by Mamdani’s threats and still plans to attend the UN General Assembly in September.
Sources
- The New York Times — Mamdani’s July 18, 2026 interview stating he may still order Netanyahu’s arrest and is consulting with legal department
- The Times of Israel — Mamdani’s statement that Netanyahu should be arrested but won’t rewrite laws, and legal context on federal protections
- NPR — Confirmation Mamdani was sworn in as NYC mayor on January 1, 2026
- AP News — Confirmation of Mamdani’s swearing-in as NYC mayor
