Mamdani Reverses Pledge to Arrest Netanyahu, Cites Authority Limits

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:35:34 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani backs off his promise to arrest Israeli PM Netanyahu, citing legal limits while urging the US to enforce the ICC arrest warrant.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has withdrawn his earlier pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the UN General Assembly visit, stating that he lacks the independent legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant. Mamdani has instead called on U.S. officials to act on the ICC’s mandate, highlighting the U.S.’s non‑membership in the court and the lack of enforceability in American jurisdictions. The mayor’s statement follows a clash with Trump’s promises and a diplomatic rebuke from Israel’s ambassador to the UN, amid shifting Democratic support for Israel.

Mamdani Reverses Pledge to Arrest Netanyahu, Cites Authority Limits

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who in a prior interview promised to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the leader visited the city, has stated that he lacks the independent legal authority to do so. He has instead urged U.S. officials to act on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Legally, if Netanyahu sets foot in an ICC‑member state he could be arrested and transferred to the court; however, the United States is not a member of the ICC, so U.S. officials would not have jurisdiction to detain him. President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not be “arrested, in any way, shape or form” while in the U.S., a statement made on Truth Social in response to Mamdani’s call.

Trump’s remarks were a response to a secret interview by Mamdani with the New York Times, where the mayor said he was having “an active conversation” with law enforcement about enforcing the ICC warrant. On Tuesday, Mamdani announced his team had reviewed all legal avenues and found that “we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this.” He called on the federal government to join the ICC and carry out the mandate.

Mamdani also declared that Netanyahu would be “not welcome” in New York City, where he is expected to travel in September for the UN General Assembly. The ICC issued the arrest warrant in 2024 after investigations of alleged war crimes in Gaza, and it has also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.

Mamdani’s stance reflects a shift in Democratic voters’ perceptions of U.S. support for Israel, with a recent poll showing 58% of Democrats think the U.S. is too supportive of Israel – up from 45% in 2024. The mayor’s remarks elicited a rebuke from Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, who told him that “you were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda.”