Mayor Mamdani Gets A Reality Check From His Own Team

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has acknowledged that the city does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Mamdani had previously said he supported enforcing the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court. The ICC issued warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

The allegations include the use of starvation as a method of warfare, as well as murder, persecution and other inhumane acts. Netanyahu and the Israeli government have rejected the accusations.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The assault killed more than 1,200 people, and over 250 others were taken hostage.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said he believed Netanyahu should be tried in The Hague, where the ICC is based. He later described the Israeli leader as a war criminal and accused him of overseeing what Mamdani called a genocide against Palestinians.

Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC, raising serious questions about whether the court’s warrant could be enforced on American soil.

Mamdani said his administration consulted with city attorneys to explore whether New York City could act on the warrant. In a video released Wednesday, he said lawyers had reviewed every possible option under existing law.

Their conclusion was clear: the city could not independently arrest Netanyahu.

Mamdani said the federal government would have that authority if the United States joined the ICC and agreed to enforce its warrants. He called on federal officials to do so, while repeating that Netanyahu was not welcome in New York.