Mamdani acknowledges he lacks authority as NYC mayor to arrest Netanyahu

22 July 2026, 4:08 am

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(Left) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledges audience applause after his address to the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Drew); (right) Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a union rally on Park Avenue, in New York, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledges he lacks “the independent legal authority” to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video statement denouncing the premier as “a war criminal” who he accuses of being “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.”

Mamdani says his administration “reviewed every avenue available” to determine if he could have Netanyahu arrested over the ICC arrest warrant against him, which he claims the US federal government has the power to enforce — though Washington is not a party to the Rome Statute recognizing the court’s authority.

“I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large,” claims Mamdani.