New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the federal government to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he travels to the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September, declaring that the Israeli leader is “not welcome” in New York.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” Mamdani said in a video posted to social media Tuesday night.
Mamdani said his administration examined whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu issued in November 2024. After reviewing the law, he acknowledged that the city does not have the power to act on its own.
“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,” he said. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.”
Mamdani then called on Washington to intervene.
“The federal government, however, does,” he said. “And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.”
The ICC warrant accuses Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of using starvation as a method of warfare and committing crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution, in connection with the war in Gaza. It also alleges responsibility for intentionally directing an attack against civilians but does not accuse Netanyahu of genocide.
Israeli officials deny the allegations.
Mamdani described Netanyahu as “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people” and cited Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says more than 73,000 people have been killed during Israel’s military campaign.
Mamdani said people “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.”
President Donald Trump rejected the possibility of an arrest Monday, writing that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also criticized Mamdani.
“You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda,” Danon wrote on social media. “Do your job!”
Mamdani closed by pledging to continue searching for lawful options.
“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,” he said. “That is my commitment to you.”
