New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city, following a legal review by city officials.
In a video statement, Mamdani stated New York does not have the authority to implement the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu, and it would be the responsibility of the federal government of the U.S. to take such action. Mamdana said he believes the international criminal court warrant for Netanyahu’s arrest over alleged war crimes is justified, but he acknowledged he has no legal authority to carry it out.
Mamdani said his administration has considered every possible route under the applicable law and determined that the city is not in a position to effect the arrest and that Washington must take responsibility.
Mamdani had earlier said that he was looking into whether the New York Law Enforcement Department could hold Netanyahu while he might be in the city for the UN General Assembly of Nations. This statement comes after that. But “the federal government does,” the mayor said. “I call on them to join the ICC and carry out this warrant.” “I also want to be clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, and neither is any other war criminal on the loose.”
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He continued to criticize Netanyahu, calling him a “war criminal” and stating that he is not welcome in New York City, while he dismissed the idea of a local response.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and previously appointed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 for alleged war offenses in Gaza. Israel has denied the accusations, and the United States, not being an ICC member, is not required to implement its warrants. Trump wrote in a social media post that Netanyahu is “fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and “the only ones that should be arrested are the people who led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction.”
Mamdani called on the federal government to join the ICC and to act on the warrant if Netanyahu were to visit the U.S. President Donald Trump, however, brushed aside the idea of an arrest.
The issue will likely be kept in the spotlight as the UN General Assembly nears, an event Netanyahu may attend, and Mamdani’s statement clarifies New York City’s legal position.
