New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani conceded Tuesday night that he does not possess the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In a video statement, Mamdani acknowledged the limitations of his office while urging the federal government to consider arresting Netanyahu based on an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," Mamdani stated. "The federal government, however, does."
Mamdani, who had previously voiced his intention to detain Netanyahu and called him a "war criminal," reiterated that the Israeli Prime Minister is "not welcome in New York City."
Netanyahu is expected to travel to the United States next week for the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham and again in September for the UN General Assembly. Legal analysts and political figures have criticized Mamdani's prior statements and his current appeal.
CNN legal analyst Elie Honig had previously stated that it was "utterly ridiculous" for a mayor to suggest he could order the arrest of a visiting foreign head of state. Honig and others have pointed out that the U.S. does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, rendering an ICC warrant legally ineffective within the United States. International diplomacy and the enforcement of such warrants are generally considered the purview of the federal government, not local city administrations.
New York City Council member Inna Vernikov criticized Mamdani, questioning why his legal team had not evaluated the feasibility of his promise before it became a central part of his platform. Conservative commentator Stephen Miller also derided the mayor's stance as a broken campaign promise.
Senator Tim Scott responded to Mamdani's video by calling the label of "war criminal" for Netanyahu "utterly ridiculous." Former President Donald Trump previously asserted on social media that Netanyahu would not be arrested in the United States.
Earlier in July, Mamdani's office faced scrutiny when his international affairs chief reportedly attempted to meet with Iran's ambassador to the UN, an action that prompted a rebuke from the State Department.
The ICC accused Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 of committing crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza. Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.