New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has revealed that his administration is looking into whether the city holds the legal power to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrives in New York for the United Nations General Assembly this September.
Mamdani confirmed that the city’s Law Department is actively reviewing the question, and that conversations are still underway about what authority, if any, the mayor and the New York Police Department actually have in such a situation.
During an appearance on The Interview, a New York Times program hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro, Mamdani voiced sharp criticism of the Israeli leader while admitting the legal picture is far from clear.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”
While the New York Police Department falls under the mayor’s command, Mamdani said he is uncertain whether that authority extends to ordering officers to detain a foreign head of government visiting the city. He described the situation as being in “an active conversation” with the Law Department.
“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.
Mamdani’s current position is a step back from statements he made during last year’s mayoral campaign, when he told The New York Times he would order the Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister set foot in the city.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the conflict in Gaza.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, sharply condemned Mamdani’s comments.
“Mamdani failed in managing the city of New York. Instead of focusing on his responsibility as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he chose to incite hostility and create headlines by attacking the State of Israel,” Danon said.
Danon went on to say, “The Prime Minister of Israel will come to New York, address the General Assembly of the UN with pride, and stand before the world.”
