New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced he is reviewing whether his administration could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the latter visits New York City for the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026.

Mamdani made the remarks during a July 19th episode of the New York Times’s "The Interview" podcast, echoing comments he made during his successful mayoral campaign last fall. He stated, “I believe that prime minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” referring to the Dutch city that hosts the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

“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 past many years,” Mamdani said.

However, Mamdani acknowledged uncertainty about his legal authority to order the New York Police Department (NYPD) to detain a foreign leader like Netanyahu. He said he is in "an active conversation" with the city’s law department and emphasized, “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.”

The ICC warrant accuses Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including "starvation as a method of warfare, and … murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."

During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani described Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide and labeled Netanyahu a war criminal, pledging to order the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if he set foot in New York.

In response, Israeli official Danon stated, “Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.”

Mamdani also noted that the ongoing war in Gaza has been motivating voters across the United States, including in New York, where his endorsed candidates won House races in June.

Sources