Mamdani says he can’t arrest Netanyahu as mayor and urges US to enforce ICC warrant

Mamdani says he can t arrest: Mamdani Says He Can't Arrest Netanyahu as NYC Mayor Wanderstayfinder.com – Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor

Mamdani Says He Can’t Arrest Netanyahu as NYC Mayor

Wanderstayfinder.com – Zohran Mamdani, the New York City mayor, reaffirmed his position Wednesday that while he cannot personally arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he is urging the federal government to enforce the International Criminal Court warrant. Mamdani says he can t arrest Netanyahu under current city authority, but believes Washington has the power to act if the Israeli leader visits during the UN General Assembly in September.

During a press conference, Mamdani called on federal authorities to join the ICC and execute its warrant alongside any other international arrest orders. His comments followed a video statement less than a day earlier in which he labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal” and declared the Israeli prime minister “not welcome in New York City.”

Legal Authority and City Response

The mayor acknowledged in his statement that New York police lack the legal power to detain Netanyahu should he attend the UN gathering. Earlier, Mamdani had indicated he was consulting with city attorneys about whether his administration could pursue an arrest, a commitment he made during his mayoral campaign. He also pushed back against critics who argued that Israel’s military actions in Gaza fall outside New York’s jurisdiction.

According to Mamdani, Israel’s conduct in Gaza has “offended the conscience, the morals, the mere humanity of so many New Yorkers.” His stance represents a notable position for an American municipal leader and highlights Palestinian rights as a defining element of his leadership. Meanwhile, pro-Israel officials have responded with criticism and mockery.

Reactions from pro-Palestinian groups were divided. Some commended Mamdani’s Tuesday remarks for their “moral clarity,” while others felt he retreated from his earlier pledge to pursue Netanyahu’s arrest. Jonathan Harounoff, Israel’s former UN international spokesperson, told NY1 that the mayor should “stay in his lane” and accused him of engaging in “political theater.”

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a prominent pro-Israel Democrat, called Mamdani a “clown” who should “sit down.” “America’s not even part of that corrupt court,” Fetterman told Fox News over the weekend. “That’s really not your purview.” Simcha Eichenstein, a pro-Israel New York state assemblymember, previously asked the state attorney general to examine whether Mamdani’s comments violated state law.

The ICC issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant in 2024, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges include “starvation as a method of warfare, and … murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.” Mamdani told the New York Times last week that he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague,” the Dutch city hosting the court.

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

Neither the United States nor Israel belongs to the ICC, an organization the US has long opposed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened this month to “dismantle” the court by pressuring nations to withdraw. While Mamdani concluded his administration lacks authority to enforce the warrant, he placed responsibility on the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump has already rejected the idea. “Netanyahu will not be arrested” on US soil, Trump posted on social media earlier this week, adding that the Israeli prime minister was “fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and that “the only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction.”

Netanyahu has previously stated he was “not concerned” about Mamdani’s threat. His office released a statement last week calling the ICC a “kangaroo court” and suggesting the mayor “appears interested in diverting public attention from his follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Supporters of the international court have praised Mamdani’s efforts. “My mayor is doing what any NYC mayor would do if Vladimir Putin or any other indicted war criminal planned to visit NYC,” said legal scholar Adil Haque. “He is exploring every legal avenue and exhausting all legal options. If his hands are tied, he will use his voice.”