New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani released a video on X addressing his desire to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he arrives in New York, acknowledging that the city has no legal authority to do so.
Mamdani said his administration had examined every available legal option to determine whether the city could enforce the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court. The review concluded that the city had no independent authority to carry out the arrest.
"My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here," Mamdani said in the video. "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant."
Mamdani stressed, however, that his desire to see Netanyahu arrested had not changed and called on the federal government to act. "The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant," he said. "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large."
Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026
"Architect of a horrific genocide"
Mamdani devoted most of the video to an unprecedented and blistering attack on Netanyahu. "Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people," he said.
Mamdani accused the prime minister of responsibility for the deaths of more than 73,000 people, injuries to tens of thousands of children, amputations performed without anesthesia, attacks on neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers, the obstruction of food and humanitarian assistance, and the shooting deaths of hundreds of aid workers and journalists.
"There is a reason that the ICC has issued a warrant for his arrest," Mamdani continued. "Anyone, with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience, should recognize the devastation he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law." "We, as Americans, are paying for the bombs carrying out the killing," he added.
It is worth noting that Mamdani made no mention of Hamas or the terrorist organization's involvement in the war and its consequences.
The Hague-based court issued the warrant in November 2024 after determining that there were reasonable grounds to suspect Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of committing crimes. The finding does not constitute a conviction. Neither Israel nor the US is a member of the court. In addition, US law generally prohibits state and local authorities from cooperating with it, while a prime minister visiting the UN General Assembly would also be covered by diplomatic protections and the immunity afforded to a serving head of government.
Netanyahu: Mamdani is promoting Hamas
In an interview about a week and a half ago with conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg, Netanyahu said he was "not afraid" of Mamdani's arrest threat and urged the mayor to reconsider which side he was supporting. "Who is he promoting? Hamas, which openly calls for the slaughter of every Jew on Earth and carried out that horrific massacre, the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.
The Prime Minister's Office also attacked Mamdani, describing the ICC as a "kangaroo court" and its arrest warrant as "preposterous."
