Mamdani Says NYC Lacks Power to Arrest Netanyahu, Urges US to Enforce ICC Warrant

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday night that a legal review found he does not have the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city. The decision effectively ends a campaign pledge he made, although he continues to criticize Netanyahu and Israel’s war on Gaza.

In a two-minute video shared on his official social media accounts, Mamdani said that “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people”. He also said legal restrictions prevent him from enforcing an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

“My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here”, Mamdani said.

“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this one”.

Mamdani said the federal government has the authority to enforce the warrant. He also called on the Trump administration to take action against Netanyahu.

The United States does not recognize the ICC’s authority over US citizens or foreign nationals on US soil. Local authorities also do not have the power to independently enforce an ICC warrant.

Mamdani, who became politically prominent through pro-Palestinian activism, has strongly criticized Israel’s policies and described himself as anti-Zionist. During his mayoral campaign, he repeatedly said he would arrest Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s representatives in the US criticized Mamdani’s comments and called him “an antisemite”. Danny Danon, “Israel’s” ambassador to the United Nations, also criticized the mayor.

In his address, Mamdani said New York City had exhausted its legal options, while the federal government still had the power to act. He called on the Trump administration to join the ICC and enforce its arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

US President Donald Trump had previously said Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

Mamdani ended by saying that Netanyahu “is not welcome in New York City” and said city leaders can continue speaking out in support of Palestinian human rights.