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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says his administration is reviewing what legal action could be taken against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the UN General Assembly in September. Mamdani acknowledged that he cannot rewrite the law, while critics say the proposed arrest has no legal basis.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested if he visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said his administration is holding what he called “an active conversation” with the city’s legal department about what steps may be available.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani has previously pledged to enforce International Criminal Court warrants against Netanyahu and other foreign leaders. However, the United States is not a member of the ICC, and federal law restricts cooperation with the court.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has also said that the mayor of New York City does not have the authority to arrest Netanyahu. Legal experts cited in the report described Mamdani’s threat as baseless.
The ICC issued warrants in 2024 accusing Netanyahu of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. Israel strongly rejects those accusations and says its forces are fighting a defensive war launched after the Hamas-led massacre of October 7, 2023.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Mamdani of using attacks on Israel to generate headlines while failing to confront antisemitism in New York.
“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,” Danon said.
Netanyahu has said that Mamdani’s threats will not deter him from attending the annual gathering.
During the interview, Mamdani also made clear that opposition to US military assistance for Israel remains an important part of his political agenda.
He said he would expect future Democratic presidential candidates to reconsider weapons support for Israel and praised legislation designed to restrict certain arms transfers.
His comments come as New York’s Jewish community continues to face serious concerns over antisemitism and hostility toward Israel. Rather than focusing on protecting Jewish New Yorkers and governing the city, Mamdani is again placing attacks on Israel at the center of his public platform.
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