New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is currently reviewing whether his administration possesses the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his anticipated visit to the city for the United Nations General Assembly this September. The mayor shared these intentions during a recent appearance on The New York Times, hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
Mayor Mamdani has been vocal about his stance on the Israeli leader, grounding his position in the arrest warrant issued for Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court in 2024. The warrant alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine, specifically citing starvation as a method of warfare and other inhumane acts.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” the mayor stated during the podcast. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these past many years.”
This isn’t the first time Mamdani has expressed his intent to have Netanyahu arrested in NYC
The mayor, who has previously characterized the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza as a genocide, noted that he is currently in an active conversation with the city’s Law Department regarding his options. He emphasized that he intends to follow the laws of New York City and will not be writing his own laws to facilitate such an arrest. When pressed on the specifics, he remained focused on the weight of the international warrant.
“We’re not talking about a personal assessment of Benjamin Netanyahu,” the mayor said. “We’re talking about the International Criminal Court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister’s arrest, and I think it’s important to talk about the weight that that has as a charge and that also, as the mayor of New York City, I’ll be following the laws of New York City.”
Benjamin Netanyahu has largely dismissed these threats. During a recent radio interview with WABC host Sid Rosenberg, the prime minister accused the mayor of supporting Hamas and claimed that the mayor does not recognize that those who hate Israel ultimately hate America. “He’s with the terror actors,” the prime minister told the host. “And I think the problem is that he doesn’t recognize and he doesn’t care that those who hate the Jews and Israel ultimately hate America.”
The prime minister further asserted that he was not concerned by the mayor’s rhetoric and suggested that the mayor should reflect on who he is condemning versus who he is praising. “I think he should look at who he’s condemning, who he’s praising,” the prime minister said. “He’s condemning Israel, the one democracy that stands shoulder to shoulder with American values.”
Legal experts have pointed out significant hurdles regarding this potential action. The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court and does not recognize its authority. Furthermore, Harold Hongju Koh, a professor of international law at Yale Law School, described the situation as a game of chicken.
Professor Koh noted that while the prime minister would likely be exempt from arrest once inside the United Nations headquarters due to his status as a sitting head of state, he could theoretically be exposed while traveling through the city. “The real question is whether the prime minister is ready to face such a spectacle,” Professor Koh added. “The same question applies to the mayor.”
The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also weighed in, accusing the mayor of failing to focus on rising antisemitism within New York City. Despite these criticisms, Mayor Mamdani remains a polarizing figure whose political identity is deeply tied to his views on the Middle East. He has made his concerns about Israel a focal point of his career, with supporters often viewing Palestinian liberation as a critical moral issue.
This is not the first time the mayor has suggested such a move. During his mayoral campaign last year, he stated that he would order the city’s police department to arrest the prime minister if he visited. As the city prepares for the annual session of the United Nations, it remains to be seen how the local government will navigate these conflicting legal and political pressures.
For now, the mayor maintains that he is committed to adhering to the city’s legal framework while acknowledging the significance of the charges brought by the International Criminal Court. The administration continues to deliberate on whether a local mayor can legally detain a foreign head of state, a move that would certainly be unprecedented in modern New York City history.
Published: Jul 19, 2026 07:00 pm