New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani says federal authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu if he comes to Manhattan for the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Mamdani made the demand Tuesday in a video statement, saying the federal government should act on the International Criminal Court warrant issued against Netanyahu in 2024. He described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and “the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people.” Subtle, this was not.
Why Mamdani says the federal government must act
Mamdani’s latest statement follows an earlier push to find out whether New York City could arrest Netanyahu locally. He told The New York Times he was looking into options, but that plan reportedly hit a wall after discussions with the city’s law department.
The issue, according to the reporting, was legal authority. City officials concluded Mamdani did not have the power to arrest the leader of a foreign government on his own.
That left the mayor pointing upward, to Washington. In his video, Mamdani said the federal government should execute the ICC warrant if Netanyahu enters New York City.
He added that Netanyahu “is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.”
The ICC warrant accused Netanyahu of
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Israel and Palestinians in Gaza have been in conflict for decades, with the latest war drawing intense international scrutiny, protests, and legal challenges over civilian deaths and humanitarian conditions.
Mamdani’s comments put him among the most direct U.S. political voices calling for action against Netanyahu personally, not just criticizing Israeli policy. The emotional stakes are obvious for many New Yorkers, including Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and anti-war communities who have followed the war closely and often painfully.
Netanyahu is expected in Manhattan in September
Netanyahu is expected to attend the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September. The annual gathering brings world leaders to Manhattan, which is precisely why this confrontation is now more than a statement on social media.
If Netanyahu attends, Mamdani wants federal authorities to treat the ICC warrant as actionable. Whether that happens is another matter entirely, since international warrants, diplomatic status, and U.S. federal authority rarely combine into a simple afternoon errand.
For now, the mayor has made his position plain: Netanyahu should not be welcomed in New York, and if he arrives, Mamdani wants the federal government to arrest him.
