Mamdani says NYC can't arrest Netanyahu but the federal government should

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared Tuesday that the city lacks the legal authority to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mamdani, who has previously labeled Netanyahu a "war criminal" and stated he is unwelcome in New York, urged the federal government to act.

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

Mamdani's announcement comes after President Donald Trump publicly stated on Monday that Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America." Mamdani had previously discussed with the city's legal department the possibility of arresting Netanyahu during his expected visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly in September.

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

During his mayoral campaign last year, Mamdani pledged to use the city's police to arrest Netanyahu based on the ICC warrant. The charges, issued in 2024, accuse Netanyahu and others of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza. The ICC alleges that Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally targeted civilians, charges that Israeli officials deny.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the U.N., responded to Mamdani's statement by saying, "enough." "You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas' propaganda," Danon said in a statement on social media. "Do your job!"

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You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas' propaganda. Do your job!