Mamdani says NYC can't arrest Netanyahu, urges federal action

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reversed his earlier pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that New York City lacks the legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant Source: BBC. Instead, he called on the federal government to act.

What changed

Mamdani said his administration reviewed all available legal avenues and concluded it does not have the independent authority to enforce the warrant Source: AP News. He maintains that Netanyahu is a "war criminal" and is "not welcome" in New York City Source: NPR. The ICC issued the warrant in 2024, accusing Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including "starvation as a method of warfare" Source: The Guardian. The US is not an ICC member, making any arrest unlikely.

Reactions

President Donald Trump had already declared that Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form" in the US Source: CNN. Israeli officials condemned Mamdani’s stance: Ambassador Danny Danon said he was elected to "serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda" Source: BBC, while Netanyahu’s office called the ICC a "kangaroo court" Source: SCMP. Mamdani reiterated his support for the ICC at a press conference, urging the federal government to join the court Source: The Guardian.