New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Speaking in a video posted on social media, Mamdani Netanyahu ICC warrant comments marked a change from his earlier campaign pledge ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit to New York for the UN General Assembly in September.
Mamdani said his administration had completed a legal review to determine whether New York City could enforce the ICC arrest warrant. He concluded that the city lacked independent legal authority to carry out such an arrest under existing US law.
Despite that finding, the mayor urged the US federal government to take action if Netanyahu visits the United States. He argued that Washington has the legal authority to enforce the ICC warrant and called on the federal government to cooperate with the court.
Mamdani also repeated his criticism of Netanyahu, referring to him as a war criminal and saying the Israeli leader was not welcome in New York City. Netanyahu and Israeli officials have consistently rejected allegations of war crimes related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026
The controversy follows the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court alleges there are reasonable grounds to believe crimes were committed during the Gaza conflict, while Israeli officials deny the accusations.
Legal experts have questioned whether any US city has the authority to enforce an ICC arrest warrant because neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute. US laws, including the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act, also place limits on cooperation with the ICC.
US President Donald Trump rejected the possibility of Netanyahu being arrested during any visit to the United States, saying the Israeli leader would not be detained. Netanyahu dismissed Mamdani’s remarks, while Israeli officials criticized the mayor’s comments, ensuring that the debate over the ICC warrant and federal authority is likely to continue ahead of the UN General Assembly.
