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Mamdani Calls for Netanyahu Arrest, Says NYC Lacks Authority
By Aurax Desk | July 22, 2026 | 2 min read
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the city does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the United States. The clarification marks a shift from earlier campaign statements and comes ahead of Netanyahu's expected trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant that his government rejects.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Tuesday that city officials do not have 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 enforce the court's order instead. In a video statement, Mamdani said a legal review by his administration determined that the authority to act on an international arrest warrant rests with the federal government rather than municipal officials. He also said Netanyahu would not be welcome in New York, citing allegations that underpin the ICC case.
The statement represents a change from Mamdani's position during last year's mayoral campaign, when he said he would direct the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader visited the city. The clarification comes as Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York in September to attend the annual U.N. General Assembly. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the war in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations, and the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, meaning it is not legally obligated to enforce the court's warrants.
Mamdani's remarks prompted swift criticism from Israeli officials, including Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who said the mayor's comments misrepresented both U.S. law and Israel's conduct during the conflict. The issue has renewed debate over the role of local governments in matters of international law and foreign policy, particularly when international judicial decisions intersect with U.S. constitutional authority. Legal experts generally agree that municipalities have no independent authority to enforce International Criminal Court warrants, leaving such matters to the federal government.
Sources: Information was compiled from reporting by The Associated Press, The New York Times, NPR, CBS News, ABC7 New York, The Hill and The Wall Street Journal.
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