New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly acknowledged that the city lacks the legal authority to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the United States later this year. In a social media video, Mamdani shared that after examining potential legal avenues concerning the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu, his administration concluded that New York City is not empowered to enforce it.
Despite these limitations, Mamdani urged the US federal government to recognize the ICC warrant and take appropriate actions. He labeled Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and expressed that neither Netanyahu nor any individual with such allegations should feel welcome in New York City. Netanyahu is anticipated to be in New York this September to participate in the United Nations General Assembly. During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani had vowed to explore methods of enforcing the ICC warrant if the Israeli leader entered the city.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, citing alleged war crimes. However, the United States does not acknowledge the ICC’s jurisdiction and is not a member of the court. This jurisdictional stance complicates any potential enforcement of the warrant on US soil.
US President Donald Trump has criticized Mamdani’s remarks, asserting that Netanyahu will not face arrest while in the United States and defending the actions of the Israeli prime minister. Meanwhile, Netanyahu has downplayed the controversy, stating he is unperturbed by the mayor’s statements.