New York Mayor Considers Arresting Netanyahu but Lacks Authority to Act

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made the comments this week on the New York Times podcast The Interview while discussing his authority to direct police to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the leader’s planned September 2026 visit for the United Nations General Assembly.

He cited the International Criminal Court’s 2024 arrest warrant, which alleges war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. He added that he would act only within existing city rules. “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” Mamdani said.

He made a similar pledge during his mayoral campaign last year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the remarks in a radio interview with New York host Sid Rosenberg and said he was unconcerned while accusing Mamdani of siding with Hamas.

“I think he should look at who he’s condemning, who he’s praising,” Netanyahu said. Israel’s UN ambassador stated that Netanyahu will attend the September meeting. The New York Times reported Mamdani’s comments on July 18, 2026.