NYC mayor Mamdani looking into whether he can arrest Israel's PM Netanyahu on next visit

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has sparked debate after saying he is looking into whether his administration can legally arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his expected visit to the city for the UN General Assembly in September.

According to The Guardian, Mamdani told the New York Times' "The Interview" podcast on Jul. 18 that his administration was actively consulting the city's law department on whether it had the legal authority to detain Netanyahu.

He said: "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do. But we won't be writing our own laws to that end."

"He's a war criminal"

Mamdani made clear his personal view of Netanyahu, telling the podcast:

"I believe that prime minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He's a war criminal who has been charged by the international criminal court, and what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these past many years."

According to The Guardian, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, on charges of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including using starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.

Mamdani added:

"We're not talking about a personal assessment of Benjamin Netanyahu. We're talking about the International Criminal Court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister's arrest, and I think it's important to talk about the weight that that has as a charge and that also, as the mayor of New York City, I'll be following the laws of New York City."

Fetterman tells him to "sit down"

According to The Hill, Senator John Fetterman pushed back sharply on Jul. 19, saying in an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures": "Well, such a tough guy to say that kind of thing. He has no way to do that. Of course, obviously, America's not even part of that corrupt court."

Fetterman, who is also from the Democratic party like Mamdani, added that if he were mayor, he "would just sit down and focus on other… problems that they have in New York. That's really not your purview."

He then addressed Mamdani directly: "Sit down."

Legal experts and the US government say it cannot be done

Legal experts have warned that arresting Netanyahu "would be a practical impossibility,” and that attempting to do so could put him at odds with the federal government, according to The Guardian.

The U.S. is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its authority. In February 2025, President Donald Trump ordered economic sanctions against the court.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since vowed to "dismantle" the ICC, accusing it of “waging a war” against the US through "so-called international law," according to The Guardian.

Trump's UN ambassador Mike Waltz labelled Mamdani's threat as "pure political theater," while Israel's UN ambassador Danny Danon said Netanyahu would address the General Assembly "with pride" regardless.

Netanyahu brushes it off, accuses Mamdani of supporting Hamas

Netanyahu dismissed the arrest threat during a radio interview, saying he was not concerned, according to The Guardian. He also alleged that Mamdani supports Hamas, which the mayor has denied.

Netanyahu told New York's WABC: "He's with the terror actors. And I think the problem is that he doesn't recognise and he doesn't care that those who hate the Jews and Israel ultimately hate America."

Mamdani has condemned the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel as a "horrific war crime." He has also called Netanyahu a war criminal and accused the Israeli military of committing genocide in Gaza, per The Guardian.

According to The Hill, Gaza Health Ministry figures show the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 73,000 since the Hamas attack in 2023, with more than 1,000 deaths recorded even after a ceasefire was reached in October 2025.