Mayor Mamdani Says NYC Lacks Power to Detain Netanyahu, Calls on Washington to Act

In a short video posted on X on Tuesday, New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, made it crystal clear that the city does not have the legal authority to carry out an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We simply don’t have independent jurisdiction to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said, his tone measured but unmistakably firm. “The federal government does, and I’m calling on Washington to join the ICC and execute the arrest.” He added that Netanyahu, whom he labeled a “war criminal,” would not be welcome in New York City.

The mayor’s remarks come after he hinted earlier this month to the New York Times that the city’s legal department was reviewing what steps could be taken if Netanyahu were to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September. That prospect sparked a flurry of diplomatic chatter, especially after former President Donald Trump posted on social media that the prime minister “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

During his campaign, Mamdani pledged to use the city’s police force to detain Netanyahu should the ICC warrant be applicable. After a week of internal consultations, however, his administration concluded that the city’s jurisdiction simply does not extend to international arrest warrants.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, responded sharply, telling the mayor “enough” and reminding him that his duty is to serve New Yorkers, not to echo what Danon dismissed as “Hamas’ propaganda.” The exchange underscored the tension between local aspirations and federal authority.

The ICC’s 2024 warrants accuse Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of crimes against humanity, alleging they employed starvation as a method of warfare by throttling humanitarian aid to Gaza and deliberately targeting civilians. Israeli officials have flatly denied the charges.

While New York City may not be able to act, the mayor’s call leaves the question hanging: will the U.S. federal government, with its far‑greater legal muscle, honor the ICC’s demand, or will political considerations keep the arrest on the back burner?