NYC Mayor Says He’s Exploring Whether Netanyahu Could Be Arrested During U.N. Visit

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said today (*Shabbat*) that he is examining the possibility of seeking the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he comes to the city in September for the U.N. General Assembly. In an interview with the "New York Times," he said that "Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," adding that discussions on the matter are taking place among the city’s legal officials.

In the interview, Mamdani referred to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Netanyahu: "He is a war criminal who has been charged in the International Criminal Court." He also added that "this view is shared by many people because of the actions he has taken in recent years."

According to him, it is still unclear whether, as mayor, he is authorized to order the New York Police Department to arrest a foreign head of government, but he noted that the issue is under discussion "in the halls of the city’s Department of Justice."

These remarks are in line with earlier statements by Mamdani, who pledged even before being elected to the position that he would work to arrest Netanyahu if he landed in New York, based on the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

However, according to the report in the "New York Times," legal experts in the United States believe that such a move is not practically possible and may even be unlawful. The United States does not recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and therefore there are significant legal obstacles to carrying out such a move.

Mamdani added in the interview that he would act similarly against Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also the subject of an international arrest warrant.

Israel’s consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, responded: "The mayor of New York has no authority whatsoever to order the arrest of the prime minister of Israel. Instead of dealing with matters over which he has no authority, it would be better if he started managing the city of New York, and only that." According to him, the issue of arresting a foreign prime minister is not within the mayor’s authority at all, and his statements do not change the legal reality.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, said that "Mamdani has failed in running New York City. Instead of focusing on his responsibility as mayor and confronting the growing wave of antisemitism in his city, he chose to stir hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel. The prime minister of Israel will come to New York, speak before the U.N. General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world."