New York Mayor Mamdani reviews legal basis to arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu at UN General Assembly
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor and a democratic socialist, said his administration is in "active conversation" with the city’s law department about whether New York has any legal authority to order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the leader attends the United Nations General Assembly in September. Mamdani cited the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant, stating “Netanyahu belongs in The Hague” and describing him as a war criminal. He added that any action would be limited to existing New York law and that the city would not draft new statutes for the purpose.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office and UN ambassador Danny Danon, sharply criticized the mayor’s remarks, calling them political theater and asserting that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that created the ICC. The U.S. ambassador to the UN and legal experts pointed out that heads of state enjoy diplomatic immunity and that the UN Headquarters Agreement protects visiting officials. The debate centers on the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrants for alleged war crimes in Gaza, the United States’ non‑participation in the ICC, and the jurisdictional limits of a municipal government over foreign leaders.
The controversy has sparked backlash from local politicians and media, who argue the mayor should focus on city issues rather than international legal disputes.