NYC mayor says his office is reviewing legal options to detain Netanyahu if he visits UN meeting
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is examining whether New York could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a planned United Nations General Assembly visit, citing the International Criminal Court warrant.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times’ podcast that his legal team is actively reviewing the possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the leader attends the United Nations General Assembly in September. Mamdani said the mayor believes Netanyahu should be tried in The Hague after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant in 2024 for alleged war crimes related to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," Mamdani said. "He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years."
He added that the discussion with his legal department is ongoing and that the city does not intend to act outside legal bounds. The United States has not ratified the Rome Statute that obliges signatories to arrest individuals subject to ICC warrants, and the federal government has previously rejected the court’s authority.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz described the mayor’s remarks as political theater, noting the country is not a member of the ICC. Israeli officials, including Ambassador Danny Danon, said Netanyahu will attend the UN meeting and present Israel’s position.
The mayor’s comments come amid broader debate over the ICC’s jurisdiction and the United States’ stance toward the court.