Mamdani Admits He Can’t Arrest Netanyahu, Urges Trump Administration To Arrest Him Instead

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has acknowledged that his administration does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

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Despite that admission, Mamdani tripled down on his criticism of the Israeli leader in a video posted Tuesday, urging the the federal government to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) and carry out the court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

“There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for [Netanyahu’s] arrest. As human beings, we have spent generations building a shared understanding that there are crimes so grave they offend all of humanity. Anyone, with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience, should recognize the devastation he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law,” Mamdani said.

The mayor then conceded that New York City has no legal mechanism to enforce the ICC warrant.

“As I’ve said, I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC. My administration has reviewed every avenue available, under applicable law, to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here. It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” he admitted.

Although he acknowledged those legal limits, Mamdani called on Washington to intervene.

“The federal government, however, does. And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.

The executive branch of the federal government is headed by President Donald Trump, so when Mamdani says “the federal government” should take action, he is effectively calling on the Trump administration to do so.

President Donald Trump already addressed the controversy last week, declaring on Truth Social that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape or form, while in the United States of America.”

Mamdani continued: “I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal. While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon, and we can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people.”

Mamdani’s latest remarks follow earlier comments to The New York Times, in which he said his administration was exploring legal options related to the ICC warrant issued over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office sharply rejected the mayor’s statements, dismissing the ICC proceedings as illegitimate.

“The ICC is a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis. Its bogus arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu was issued by a disgraced former ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, a few days before allegations of sexual misconduct against him became public. It was a clear attempt by Khan to divert public attention and seek protection from scrutiny.”

The Prime Minister’s Office also defended Israel’s conduct during the war, stating:

“Under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel has taken unprecedented wartime measures to minimize harm to civilians while confronting Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that uses Palestinians as human shields and deliberately targets innocent Israeli civilians.”

The statement concluded with a direct rebuke of the New York City mayor.

“Instead of backing Khan’s criminal behaviour, Mr. Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York. Like Karim Khan, Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.”