New York Mayor Admits He Lacks Authority to Arrest Netanyahu During UN Visit

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged in a video posted on social media that he does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Despite this, Mamdani reiterated his condemnation of Netanyahu, labeling him a "war criminal" and accusing him of orchestrating a "horrific genocide against the Palestinian people." He urged the federal government to act on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu by joining the ICC and enforcing the order.

Mamdani emphasized the moral imperative to recognize the severity of the alleged crimes and called on the federal administration to use its legal powers to detain Netanyahu, stating that while New York City cannot enforce the ICC warrant independently, the federal government can. He also declared Netanyahu unwelcome in New York, along with any other alleged war criminals.

The mayor’s statements follow earlier controversy after he told The New York Times he intended to arrest Netanyahu during his visit. The Israeli Prime Minister’s office responded by dismissing the ICC as a "kangaroo court" lacking jurisdiction over Israelis or Americans and criticized the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued the warrant, as biased and discredited. They defended Netanyahu’s wartime actions as unprecedented efforts to minimize civilian harm while combating Hamas, which they described as a genocidal terrorist organization.

President Donald Trump also weighed in, rejecting Mamdani’s threats and affirming that Netanyahu would not be arrested during his U.S. visit. Trump praised Netanyahu’s fight against Iran, which he accused of killing thousands of protesters and American soldiers over decades, and suggested that those responsible for Iran’s turmoil should be the ones arrested.

Mamdani’s call highlights ongoing tensions surrounding Netanyahu’s international legal challenges and the political debates in the U.S. over how to respond to them during the UN General Assembly.