(NEW YORK ) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he’s exploring whether New York City could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if Netanyahu attends the U.N. General Assembly this fall.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani cited a 2024 International Criminal Court warrant accusing Netanyahu of war crimes in Gaza.
In response, Netanyahu made a lengthy social media post, rejecting the Court’s allegations, defending Israel’s military actions, and accusing Mamdani of targeting the Jewish state for political attention.
Legal experts say such an arrest is unlikely because the U.S. is not a member of the ICC and sitting heads of government generally receive diplomatic immunity during U.N. visits. Mamdani’s comments have drawn criticism from Israeli officials and some U.S. politicians, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who called the remarks political theater.
