New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sparked intense political debate by suggesting that U.S. authorities should arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city.
Pointing to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the conflict in Gaza, Mamdani declared, “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague.”
The mayor added that “he’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
Trump shuts down the threat
President Donald Trump swiftly rejected the mayor’s statements and assured that no action would be taken. Responding on social media, Trump wrote that “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”
Trump defended the Israeli leader, stating that “the only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction.”
City lacks legal power
After consulting with legal experts, Mamdani admitted that his office cannot carry out the arrest warrant on its own. In a social media video, he explained, “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.”
However, he urged federal leaders to act, adding that “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.”
Clash ahead of UN assembly
The political dispute comes ahead of Netanyahu’s expected trip to Manhattan for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Since the United States is not a member of the ICC, federal law protects visiting foreign leaders for such arrests on U.S. soil.
