New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stated he is in active discussions with local law enforcement to potentially arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan this September.
Mamdani told The New York Times that he believes Prime Minister Netanyahu should be held accountable by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges in late 2024. "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court," Mamdani said, adding that this sentiment is shared by many due to his actions over the years.
Mamdani emphasized that any actions taken would adhere to the laws of New York City and the United States. "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," he stated, noting that the specifics of which local laws would permit such an action are under discussion with the city's legal department.
Mamdani clarified that his stance is not a personal assessment but is based on the ICC warrant. He also drew a distinction between his approach and what he described as a "desire to write your own laws" seen "at the national level," asserting that his administration is not interested in operating outside legal boundaries.
Foreign leaders and diplomats are typically granted some form of immunity when attending events like the UN General Assembly. The United States is not a member of the ICC, which comprises 125 member states, including other nations like Russia, China, and India. Prime Minister Netanyahu attended the 2025 assembly without being arrested, a situation that occurred after the ICC warrant was issued.
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has indicated that Prime Minister Netanyahu plans to attend the upcoming assembly in September, despite Mamdani's statements. Mamdani had previously expressed his intent to pursue an arrest during his mayoral campaign last year.