Zohran Mamdani concedes NYC cannot arrest Benjamin Netanyahu

Jul 22, 2026

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani conceded the city lacks legal authority to arrest Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC warrant for war crimes. Mamdani now urges the federal government to act, calling Netanyahu a "war criminal." President Trump has vowed Netanyahu will not be arrested in the U.S. The move has drawn fierce backlash from Republicans, with some accusing Mamdani of antisemitism and incitement.

Mamdani's Netanyahu arrest call

▪U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested "in any way, shape, or form" while visiting the United States.
▪After a legal review, Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the U.S. federal government to execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu.
▪Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that if Benjamin Netanyahu visits, New Yorkers have a First Amendment right to protest.
▪Mayor Zohran Mamdani has referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal."
▪New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated the city does not have the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Republican backlash

▪Representative Randy Fine responded to Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement by calling him a "Muslim terrorist."
▪Benjamin Netanyahu's office called the ICC a "kangaroo court" and stated Mayor Zohran Mamdani should focus on fixing New York's problems.
▪Senator Tim Scott called Mayor Zohran Mamdani's words "ridiculous" and accused him of ignoring Hamas's role in starting the war.
▪U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused Mayor Zohran Mamdani of being an "evil anti-Semite" for his call to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu.

ICC war crimes charges

▪The ICC warrant alleges Benjamin Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes including "starvation as a method of warfare" and intentionally attacking civilians in Gaza.
▪The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
▪The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, does not recognize the International Criminal Court's authority, and has protections for leaders visiting the UN.

Gaza genocide allegations

▪Mayor Zohran Mamdani accused Benjamin Netanyahu of being "the architect of a horrific genocide" and responsible for killing more than 73,000 people in Gaza.
▪International organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have concluded that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.