Mamdani says exploring possible Netanyahu arrest during UN General Assembly visit
The New York City mayor says his legal department is examining what action authorities could take if the Israeli prime minister visits for the UN General Assembly in September
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is examining whether city authorities could arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for the UN General Assembly in September.
In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Mamdani said the question was the subject of “an active conversation” with the city’s legal department, but stopped short of repeating his earlier pledge to order Netanyahu’s arrest.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” Mamdani said, reiterating his support for the International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu, calling the Israeli leader a “war criminal” who “belongs in The Hague.”
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis. Israel has rejected both the allegations and the court’s jurisdiction.
Any attempt by New York authorities to enforce the warrant would face major legal obstacles. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute establishing the ICC and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction, while New York Governor Kathy Hochul has previously said the mayor lacks the authority to arrest Netanyahu.
Elsewhere in the interview, Mamdani again accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza and said politicians’ positions on Israel were an important, though not exclusive, consideration in deciding whom he would endorse.
He said Democratic candidates seeking to regain the trust of pro-Palestinian voters should acknowledge the "consequences of US policy" and support legislation restricting the transfer of certain American weapons to Israel.
Mamdani also discussed a recent call with former vice president Kamala Harris, who is reportedly considering another presidential run. He declined to say whether Harris had offered the change in policy he was seeking, describing her outreach as an important first step.