New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says his legal team is still exploring whether he can arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city for the UN General Assembly in September.
Mamdani says he’s still looking into arresting Netanyahu if Israeli leader visits New York
Speaking on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, Mamdani said the conversation with his legal department remains active, reiterating a campaign-trail pledge. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” he said, calling him “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
Asked what the law actually permits, Mamdani said: “That’s an active conversation with our legal department. However, what we’ve seen at the national level is a desire sometimes to write your own laws, to go outside of the bounds of legality. That’s not something we have an interest in.”
The ICC issued a warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes tied to the Gaza war, though the US hasn’t ratified the Rome Statute, CNN reports.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz dismissed Mamdani’s comments as “pure political theater.” Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, said Netanyahu would still address the General Assembly “with pride.”
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