The New York City Mayor does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city, Zohran Mamdani has said. He, however, urged the US federal government to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against the Israeli leader.
In a video posted on X, Mamdani said his administration had examined all available legal options to determine whether New York City could execute the ICC warrant.
“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. It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he said in the video.
Mamdani believes the ICC warrant is justified and reiterated that Netanyahu “is not welcome in New York City.”
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026
“The federal government, however, does. And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant. And I want to be equally clear. Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” he added.
In the video, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and accused him of orchestrating what he called a “genocide against the Palestinian people.”
The statement comes days after Mamdani told The New York Times that his legal team was exploring whether the city could arrest Netanyahu over what he described as alleged war crimes if the Israeli leader visited New York.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” he told a New York Times video podcast called “The Interview.”
Trump says Netanyahu will not be arrested
US President Donald Trump stated on Monday on Truth Social that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” in the United States. He added that those responsible for Iran’s actions should instead face arrest.
“The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago, by previous Presidents!” he wrote.
Israeli officials respond
Netanyahu could travel to New York later this year to attend the United Nations’ general assembly. Earlier, his office accused the mayor of trying to divert attention from “follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East,” CNN reported.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also criticised Mamdani’s remarks.
In a post on X, he said, “You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda. Do your job!”
Zohran Mamdani, ENOUGH.
Enough with the blood libels.
Enough with the attacks on Jewish organizations.
Enough with the outreach to the Iranian regime.
You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda.
Do your job! https://t.co/iegtu8u2Gj
— Danny Danon ???????? דני דנון (@dannydanon) July 22, 2026
Why was the ICC warrant issued?
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes committed during and after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Israel has rejected the allegations.
