We’re Considering Arresting Netanyahu If He Attends UN Meeting, New York Mayor Says

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has disclosed that his administration is exploring whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.

Mamdani made the disclosure during an appearance on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, stating that the city’s legal department is reviewing the legal options available. The position, he noted, is consistent with a campaign promise he made during the mayoral race.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said.

“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.”

Asked whether his office has the legal authority to arrest the Israeli leader, Mamdani said discussions are ongoing.

“That’s an active conversation with our legal department. However, what we’ve seen at the national level is a desire sometimes to write your own laws, to go outside of the bounds of legality. That’s not something we have an interest in,” he said.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in 2024 over alleged war crimes linked to Israel’s military operations following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. Israel has rejected the allegations.

The United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and is therefore not obligated to enforce the court’s arrest warrants.

Both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden criticised the ICC’s decision. The Trump administration has since intensified its opposition to the court, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently accusing the ICC of using international law as a political weapon against the United States and pledging to “dismantle” the institution.

Mamdani has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which he has described as “genocide”—an allegation the Israeli government has consistently denied.

Responding to the mayor’s remarks, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, dismissed the proposal as “pure political theater,” stressing that the US is not a member of the ICC.

Netanyahu also downplayed Mamdani’s comments during an interview earlier this week with WABC radio host Sid Rosenberg.

Meanwhile, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, insisted that the Israeli prime minister would attend the UN General Assembly as planned.

“Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens,” Danon wrote on social media.