Mamdani walks back pledge to arrest Netanyahu citing lack of authority

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has retracted his earlier pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the city, saying he lacks the legal authority to do so. In a video posted to his social‑media accounts, Mamdani urged federal officials to act on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu, which alleges war crimes committed in Gaza. He noted that, technically, the warrant could be executed if Netanyahu set foot in an ICC member state, but the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute. President Donald Trump dismissed the possibility of any arrest, declaring on Truth Social on Monday that Netanyahu would not be detained “in any way, shape or form” while in the United States. Trump added, “He is warring against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors [sic], and has spent the past 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others.” Trump’s remarks were a direct response to Mamdani’s comments in a New York Times interview published on Saturday, where the mayor said he was engaged in “an progressive conversation” with law‑enforcement officials about enforcing the ICC warrant. On Tuesday, Mamdani clarified his position, stating that his staff had examined “every avenue available” under existing law and concluded that “we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this.” He added, “The national government, however, does,” and called on federal authorities to “join the ICC and execute this warrant.” Mamdani also reiterated in the social‑media video that Netanyahu is “not welcome” in New York City, where the Israeli leader is scheduled to appear in September for the United Nations General Assembly. The ICC issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza, and simultaneously issued a warrant for a Hamas commander. The court’s jurisdiction covers genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of states that have ratified the Rome Statute. During his Times interview, Mamdani said, “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” referencing the UN’s International Court of Justice, and described the premier as “a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.” Throughout his mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeatedly labeled Netanyahu a war criminal and characterized the Gaza conflict as genocide. His statements coincide with a shift in Democratic attitudes toward Israel; a recent poll shows 58 % of Democrats now think the United States is overly supportive of Israel, up from 45 % in 2024. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon reacted to Mamdani’s remarks, telling the mayor, “You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas’ propaganda.”