Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said his mayoral rival Zohran Mamdani “should be arrested” after Mamdani said he would order the New York Police Department to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the prime minister set foot in the city.
Cuomo, who is running as an independent in the November mayoral race, called Mamdani’s remark an illegal politicization of law enforcement and contrasted it with what he described as proper limits on the political use of the justice system. “It would be illegal. The only person who should be arrested in that fashion is Mamdani,” Cuomo said at a briefing with reporters, adding that Mamdani had not kept a pledge to apologize to the NYPD for previously calling the department racist.
Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in polls showing him ahead in the race, has said he would respect an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu in connection with the war in Gaza and suggested local authorities should act if the prime minister traveled to New York. The candidate reiterated those positions in recent interviews, including one with The New York Times.
Cuomo framed his criticism in broader terms, invoking concerns about the politicization of justice that have surrounded national figures. “The great irony here is that you talk about politicizing the justice system, and how President Trump politicizes the justice system, and uses the justice system to play politics,” Cuomo said. “This would be that to an absurd extent, that you [Mamdani] would use the NYPD.”
Mamdani’s campaign responded sharply. Dora Pekec, a campaign spokesperson, said Cuomo was prioritizing arresting a political rival over condemning what she described as a “war criminal charged with genocide.” “Cuomo seemingly taking a page out of his long-time friend Donald Trump’s playbook isn’t just outrageous — it’s authoritarian, it’s dangerous, and it’s morally bankrupt,” Pekec said.
The exchange came as the mayoral contest intensifies ahead of the general election in November. Cuomo, a former two-term governor of New York, entered the race as an independent earlier this year after losing his bid for his party’s nomination; Mamdani emerged as the Democratic nominee following a divisive primary where his positions on policing and foreign policy drew scrutiny.
Mamdani has repeatedly criticized the NYPD in campaign statements and on the trail, saying the department engages in systemic racism and has pledged to apologize for prior derogatory remarks only under certain conditions. Cuomo used that history in his remarks Monday, saying he had not heard an apology and pressing Mamdani on the issue.
Legal experts and observers note that local police cannot enforce international arrest warrants in the same manner as national authorities and that any attempt by a city official to direct the police to arrest a foreign head of government would raise constitutional and diplomatic concerns. Neither Cuomo nor Mamdani outlined a specific legal pathway for detaining Netanyahu; their public comments focused on political messaging and the implications for law enforcement neutrality.
The debate over the candidates’ comments is likely to remain a campaign flashpoint as New Yorkers weigh issues of public safety, policing and the city’s global role. The candidates are scheduled to continue campaigning across the city in the weeks ahead as the November election approaches.
