New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly acknowledged that he does not possess the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite previously expressing a desire to see him apprehended under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Mamdani, a socialist, made these statements in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter, which has garnered millions of views.
Mamdani has consistently referred to Netanyahu as a "war criminal" and has advocated for his arrest, particularly in relation to the conflict in Gaza. While he stated his intention to explore avenues for enforcing the ICC warrant within New York City, he conceded that the city itself cannot execute such an order. He did, however, call on the federal government to act if Netanyahu visits New York for events such as the U.N. General Assembly, stating, "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."
The mayor's admission has drawn sharp criticism from conservative figures. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders questioned Mamdani's focus, asking on X, "Trying to find where Mamdani called for the arrest of the Hamas terrorists who plotted the October 7th attacks. Disgusting and Disgraceful."
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman posted on X that Mamdani's remarks were "the most horrific package of lies against the State of Israel ever promoted by a government official" and called them "despicable and entirely unbecoming a mayor of New York City."
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina criticized Mamdani's stance, stating on X, "The same crowd that rushes to condemn Israel never has much to say about the terrorists who started the war, massacred civilians, raped women, kidnapped children, and still hide behind their own people. Mamdani wants the headline that comes from attacking Netanyahu, not the consistency that comes with confronting Hamas."
New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino described Mamdani's statements as promoting "antisemitic blood libel courtesy of Hamas propaganda from an official government social media account." U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz commented on X that it was "More political theater" and that Mamdani "doesn’t have the authority."
Political commentator Eyal Yakoby echoed this sentiment on X, stating, "Zohran Mamdani admitted tonight that he has zero legal right to arrest Netanyahu. Like everything that he does, it was all just an act for clicks on social media."
The U.S. government does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. Mamdani's campaign has frequently included his stance on Netanyahu, with his recent comments amplifying the debate surrounding the mayor's foreign policy pronouncements and their alignment with his municipal responsibilities.