Zohran Mamdani says New York City is still reviewing whether it can arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits for the September UN General Assembly. The mayor said he is in active conversation with New York's law department and that any step would have to stay within what New York City law allows.
On The Interview, Mamdani said, “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague,” and added, “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC).” He also said, “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.”
New York City law department review
Mamdani’s comments leave the issue in a narrow legal lane: New York City is weighing whether the New York Police Department could be ordered to arrest Netanyahu if he comes for the UN General Assembly in September. That question matters because Mamdani is not saying New York City will act outside the law; he is saying his administration is still trying to determine where the lawful line sits.
The practical issue is whether a city government can direct a police arrest in connection with a foreign leader whose case is tied, in the source’s framing, to the International Criminal Court and the Israel-Hamas War. The dispute is not about a public speech or a symbolic protest. It is about whether New York City can turn a political position into a police action during a major United Nations gathering.
Netanyahu answers on Sid & Friends in the Morning
Netanyahu rejected Mamdani’s threat on Sid & Friends in the Morning, saying he is not concerned. He also accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas after the October 7 massacre, and said, “Who does he champion? Hamas, that calls openly to massacre every Jew on earth, that conducted that horrible massacre, the worst massacre on Jews since the Holocaust,” followed by, “I think he should look at who he's condemning, who he’s praising,” and, “He’s condemning Israel, the one democracy that stands shoulder to shoulder with American values.”
Ofir Akunis also said Mamdani has “no authority” to call for Netanyahu’s arrest, and told him, “Instead of dealing with matters over which he has no authority, it would be better for him to start running New York City and only New York City.” Danny Danon said on X and Twitter, “It will not change a thing,” adding that “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.” Danon also said, “And if anyone should be arrested, it is Mamdani.”
Mayoral campaign in 2025
The review is not a new political line from Mamdani. During his mayoral campaign in 2025, he said he would order the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu. Donald Trump called those remarks “inappropriate” during the campaign, putting the issue into the city’s broader political argument before Mamdani took office.
For now, the unresolved point is simple: whether New York City actually has the legal authority to order the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if he comes in September. Mamdani says his administration is still working that through with New York’s law department, and he says he will act only within what New York City law allows.
