New York Mayor Mamdani: City can't arrest Netanyahu, but federal government should

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said late Tuesday that the city would be unable to execute an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but urged the federal government to act. In a video posted on X, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and said he is not welcome in New York City.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani said in the video. "The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant."

Earlier this month, Mamdani told The New York Times that he and the city's legal department were discussing arresting Netanyahu if he comes to New York for the UN General Assembly in September. Throughout his mayoral campaign last year, he said he would seek to order police to arrest Netanyahu under the ICC warrant over his role in the war in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday posted on social media that Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America." Trump did not directly mention Mamdani.

In his Tuesday video, Mamdani said his administration had reviewed all avenues and determined the city cannot execute 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.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon responded by telling the mayor "enough." "You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas' propaganda," he said in a statement on social media. "Do your job!"

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in 2024, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza. The court said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used "starvation as a method of warfare" by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeted civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas. Israeli officials deny the charges.