Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel (September 29, 2025) (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration does not have the legal authority to execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a short video message on social media on Tuesday, Mamdani said his administration had explored all available legal avenues to determine whether the city could arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal power to enforce this warrant. However, the federal government does, and I call on them to join the International Criminal Court and execute this warrant,” Mamdani said.
The criminal court, which is based in The Hague, said in 2024 that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu is responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
(Photo: AFP)
Also read: NY mayor wants to arrest Netanyahu at UN meeting
Pres. Donald Trump gave the undertaking on Monday that Netanyahu will not be arrested if he attends the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York in September.
However, Mamdani insisted that Netanyahu should appear before the court in his opinion.
“I agree with the criminal court that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, like any other person charged by the criminal court.”
Netanyahu’s office rejected Mamdani’s position and labeled the criminal court a “sham court”.
The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) says that Netanyahu, like other world leaders, enjoys protection in terms of the agreement that established the UN headquarters in New York after the Second World War. The JNS also points out that the US is not a party to the criminal court’s case.
According to the JNS, the criminal court has no jurisdiction in the US and that federal authorities would prevent Mamdani from interfering with Netanyahu’s ability to visit New York or elsewhere in the US.
- Additional sources: AFP, JNS