New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani went on record late Tuesday evening saying that while his city cannot enforce an arrest warrant issued by the world’s leading war-crimes court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he believes the federal government has both the authority and the obligation to do so.
In a video posted to the social media platform X, Mamdani referred to Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and made clear the Israeli leader is unwelcome in New York City.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani stated in the video. “The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” he added, referencing the International Criminal Court.
Earlier this month, Mamdani had told the New York Times that he and the city’s legal team were exploring the possibility of arresting Netanyahu if the prime minister traveled to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly scheduled for September.
President Donald Trump stepped in Monday, posting on social media that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” Trump’s post did not specifically name Mamdani.
The issue of arresting Netanyahu was a recurring theme during Mamdani’s mayoral campaign last year, during which he pledged to direct the city’s police department to detain Netanyahu based on the international court’s warrant tied to Netanyahu’s role in the war in Gaza.
In Tuesday’s video, Mamdani said his administration had thoroughly examined every legal option available and concluded the city simply does not have the power to carry out the warrant.
“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.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, fired back at the mayor, telling him in a social media statement to say “enough.”
“You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda,” Danon wrote. “Do your job!”
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in 2024, alleging crimes against humanity connected to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The court indicated there was sufficient reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used “starvation as a method of warfare” by limiting humanitarian aid and deliberately targeted civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas — accusations that Israeli officials have rejected.
