Mamdani Says NYC Lacks Authority to Arrest Netanyahu, Urges Federal Action on ICC Warrant

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Tuesday, July 21, and at a press conference the following day that he lacks the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York City. Mamdani had previously said during his campaign that Netanyahu would not be welcome in the city and suggested he could be arrested under the International Criminal Court's outstanding warrant against him. Netanyahu is expected to potentially travel to New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly. At the press conference, Mamdani stated, "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," and called on the federal government to "join the international criminal court and to execute both this warrant as well as any warrant the international criminal court holds." The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in relation to alleged war crimes. Several outlets characterized this as Mamdani retreating from or clarifying his earlier campaign statements regarding Netanyahu's arrest. In response, Netanyahu accused Mamdani of "fomenting hate" by labeling him a war criminal and described the ICC charges against him as "bogus." The dispute remains unresolved as to whether Netanyahu will visit New York City in the fall for the UN General Assembly, and no federal action on the ICC warrant has been confirmed. Coverage differs in framing: some outlets, including Fox News and the BBC, describe Mamdani's statement as going back on or backing off a campaign promise, while The Guardian and The Hill emphasize his continued call for federal enforcement of the ICC warrant rather than a reversal. The United States is not a member of the ICC and has not indicated it will act on the warrant.