NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city lacks the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court warrant if he visits New York, but urged the U.S. federal government to recognize the court's authority and execute the warrant instead.
In a video statement released Tuesday, Mamdani said his administration had reviewed the legal options available to the city after earlier indicating it was examining whether local authorities could detain Netanyahu during an expected visit for the United Nations General Assembly in September. He said the review concluded that New York City does not have the independent legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant.
"The federal government, however, does," Mamdani said, calling on Washington to join the ICC and carry out the warrant. He also described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and said the Israeli leader was not welcome in New York.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the Gaza conflict, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against civilians. Netanyahu and Israeli officials have rejected the allegations, while Israel has challenged the legitimacy of the court's actions.
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and has historically not recognized the court's jurisdiction over U.S. citizens or those of allied countries. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that Netanyahu "will not be arrested" while in the United States, signaling the administration would not enforce the ICC warrant.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticized Mamdani's remarks, accusing the mayor of promoting anti-Israel rhetoric and rejecting his characterization of Netanyahu.
Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York in September for the annual U.N. General Assembly, although details of the visit have not been formally announced. As of Tuesday, no change had been announced in the U.S. government's position regarding the ICC warrant or Netanyahu's prospective visit.
