NYC Mayor Mamdani urges federal government to execute Netanyahu arrest warrant
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his administration cannot legally arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, shifting his strategy to calling for federal intervention.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has concluded that his administration lacks the legal authority to execute an international arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, effectively ending a high-profile effort to detain the Israeli prime minister should he visit the city in the fall. The determination, announced on Tuesday, marks a shift from the mayor’s previous public indications that he was reviewing legal options to facilitate such an arrest, a position he had maintained since his campaign for office last year.
Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Mamdani maintained his support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant. The court has accused both individuals of war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically citing the use of starvation as a method of warfare, as well as murder and persecution in relation to the conflict in Gaza.
Media additions
“I call on the federal government to join the international criminal court and to execute both this warrant as well as any warrant the international criminal court holds,” Mamdani said during the press conference. Despite the mayor's call for federal intervention, the prospect of an arrest appears unlikely. Earlier this week, the president stated on social media that Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America
. The president further characterized the Israeli leader as an ally fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, arguing that the only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction.
The mayor’s shift in strategy followed his own administration’s internal legal review. My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here,
Mamdani stated in a video released on social media. It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.
While acknowledging the limits of his municipal power, the mayor reiterated his stance that the prime minister is not welcome in New York City
and labeled him a war criminal. This language has drawn sharp rebukes from both international and domestic political figures. Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, urged the mayor to do your job
and focus on serving city residents rather than engaging with what he described as Hamas propaganda. Similarly, Jonathan Harounoff, a former international spokesperson for Israel at the United Nations, characterized the mayor’s actions as political theater
and advised him to stay in his lane
.
The debate has underscored the tensions surrounding the ICC’s standing in the United States. Neither the U.S. Nor Israel are members of the court, a fact noted by Senator John Fetterman, who criticized the mayor’s efforts as outside his jurisdiction, calling him a clown
and describing the ICC as a corrupt court
.
Supporters of the mayor, however, have defended his use of the mayoral platform. Legal scholars have argued that even without arrest powers, the mayor is using his voice to signal concerns regarding humanitarian issues. My mayor is doing what any NYC mayor would do if Vladimir Putin or any other indicted war criminal planned to visit NYC,
Adil Haque, a legal scholar, noted in support of the administration’s public advocacy. The mayor’s team has emphasized that while the city cannot resolve the conflict in Gaza, it has a duty to address what Mamdani described as matters that have offended the conscience, the morals, the mere humanity of so many New Yorkers
.
What to Watch Next
- September United Nations General Assembly: The potential arrival of Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City for the assembly remains the focal point for protesters and city officials.
- Federal Stance: With the secretary of state having recently threatened to "dismantle" the court by pressuring other countries to abandon it, federal cooperation with the court's warrants remains effectively non-existent.
- State-Level Review: Calls from officials like Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein for an investigation into whether the mayor’s rhetoric has violated state law may lead to further legal scrutiny of the mayor’s office.
