New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged Tuesday that the city cannot arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite promising to do so during his mayoral campaign.
Mamdani called on the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if the Israeli leader visits New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly.
In a video posted on X, Mamdani referred to Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and conceded that New York City could not enforce the ICC warrant on its own.
As Mayor, Mamdani stated that his administration has reviewed all available avenues to determine whether New York City could enforce the ICC warrant, but it is clear that the city lacks the independent legal authority to do so.
Mamdani emphasized that the federal government has the authority to enforce the warrant and called on them to join the ICC in executing it.
The Mayor's comments underscored that a New York City mayor lacks the authority to enforce an International Criminal Court warrant or create a New York arrest warrant by executive order.
Mamdani reiterated that Netanyahu would not be welcome in New York City, stating that he is not welcome along with any other war criminal at large.
These remarks marked a reversal from Mamdani's 2025 campaign pledge that New York City would arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister came to New York.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
