NYC Mayor tells Netanyahu 'not welcome,' urges federal arrest over ICC warrant

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "not welcome" in the city and called on the federal government to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Mamdani released a video on his social media channels Tuesday, stating that while his administration reviewed legal options, the city lacks the independent authority to enforce the ICC's order.

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The federal government does have it, and I ask them to join the ICC and execute this order.

"The federal government does have it, and I ask them to join the ICC and execute this order," Mamdani urged, referencing the ICC's arrest warrant for alleged war crimes. He titled the video message 'Netanyahu is a war criminal,' acknowledging the limitations of his city's legal power but emphasizing the federal government's potential to act should Netanyahu visit New York, as he traditionally does for the UN General Assembly in September.

This statement follows Mamdani's recent comments to The New York Times, where he indicated his administration was exploring legal avenues to arrest Netanyahu for alleged war crimes. Former President Donald Trump responded to Mamdani's earlier remarks, asserting on his Truth Social platform that Netanyahu "will not be arrested, under any circumstances" while in the United States, though he did not directly address the New York mayor.

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Netanyahu is a war criminal

Mamdani, 34, is the first Muslim mayor of New York City. The ICC issued the arrest warrant against Netanyahu in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Both Israel and the United States reject the ICC's warrant.

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will not be arrested, under any circumstances