New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated that he is actively reviewing whether his administration could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. In an episode of the New York Times podcast "The Interview" aired on Saturday, Mamdani reiterated his belief that Netanyahu should face justice for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Mamdani’s Stance on Netanyahu and the ICC
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said, referencing the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024. The warrant accuses Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including “starvation as a method of warfare, and … murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.” Mamdani added, “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the international criminal court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many.”
Mamdani acknowledged uncertainty about his legal authority to order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to detain a foreign leader like Netanyahu. However, he confirmed he is in “active conversation” with the city’s law department on the matter. “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” he said. “But we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.”
Legal and Political Challenges
During his mayoral campaign last fall, Mamdani characterized Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide and vowed to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York. Legal experts at the time deemed such an arrest “a practical impossibility,” potentially putting Mamdani in conflict with the U.S. federal government. The United States is not a party to the ICC and does not recognize its authority. In February 2025, President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions on the ICC, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to “dismantle” the court, accusing it of “waging a war against our country.”
Netanyahu, facing a tough re-election campaign in October, dismissed Mamdani’s threats in a recent radio appearance, saying he was not concerned. He also alleged that Mamdani supports Hamas, a charge Mamdani denies. “He’s with the terror actors,” Netanyahu told New York’s WABC. “And I think the problem is that he doesn’t recognize and he doesn’t care that those who hate the Jews and Israel ultimately hate America.”
Reactions from Israeli and U.S. Officials
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mamdani, New York’s first Muslim mayor, of failing to confront rising antisemitism in the city. Mamdani countered by noting increased funding for an office combating hate crimes. Danon stated, “Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.”
Trump’s UN Ambassador Mike Waltz dismissed Mamdani’s threat as “pure political theater,” reiterating that the U.S. is not an ICC member. World leaders are expected to attend the UN’s annual session in September, and Netanyahu has participated in previous years.
Broader Political Context
Mamdani’s comments come amid shifting Democratic Party views on Israel. Nearly half of U.S. House Democrats voted on Wednesday to strip $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, a measure that failed but signaled declining unconditional support. Public opinion polling reflects similar trends. Asked about the political weight of U.S. support for Israel, Mamdani said the Gaza war is motivating voters nationwide, including when his endorsed candidates swept House races in New York in June. “It is hard to find a more bankrupt policy approach than what our country has done to Gaza and to Palestine,” he concluded.
