New York's mayor Zohran Mamdani has said his administration is examining whether it can arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the city for the UN General Assembly on September 8. Mamdani told The New York Times that Netanyahu "belongs in The Hague" and branded him "a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."
The mayor indicated his views reflected broader sentiment, pointing to Netanyahu's track record. He revealed his legal team and the New York Police Department are discussing what steps they can take under law.
Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon hit back hard, accusing Mamdani of stirring up hostility and neglecting his actual job. Danon said the mayor should focus instead on combating "the rising wave of antisemitism" plaguing New York City.
Netanyahu will attend the assembly and address the UN, Danon added, vowing the Israeli leader will "state Israel's truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens." The ambassador went further, suggesting Mamdani himself should face arrest.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Israel's Gaza campaign. Israel contests both the charges and the court's authority to pursue them.
The U.S. government has rejected the ICC's jurisdiction over non-member nations and launched a campaign to "dismantle" the court. Washington argues the ICC poses a threat to Americans and is attempting to function as a "global arbiter" and "supranational enforcement arm of a globalist bureaucracy."
The standoff underscores deep divisions over international accountability mechanisms. It also highlights how Netanyahu's anticipated visit to New York could become a flashpoint for competing legal and political claims.
Mamdani's position signals the mayor intends to use municipal authorities to enforce the ICC warrant if Netanyahu enters the city. His stance puts New York at odds with the Trump administration's stated opposition to the court's expansion of power.
