New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced intense backlash on social media over the weekend after revealing that city lawyers were examining whether local police could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits Manhattan for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Critics, including U.S. officials and local lawmakers, accused the mayor of overstepping his authority and interfering with American foreign policy.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani stated that the city’s Law Department was actively discussing the issue and reiterated his support for the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against Netanyahu. «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,» Mamdani said. He added, «I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in 'The Hague.' He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.»
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz quickly dismissed the idea, calling it «pure political theater» in a post on X. Waltz pointed to several legal obstacles, noting that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, that diplomatic protections apply to leaders visiting the UN, and that foreign leaders generally enjoy immunity. «Federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes,» Waltz wrote.
House Republicans also condemned the proposal, urging Mamdani to focus on local issues rather than international affairs. «Mamdani is threatening to arrest the head of one of our closest allies,» the House Republican account posted on X. «He should stop politicizing local law enforcement and interfering with US foreign policy and instead focus on rising rent and housing prices and antisemitism in NYC.»
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who preceded Mamdani, warned that the move could have serious consequences for Americans serving overseas. «This isn’t a college protest. This is the City of New York,» Adams wrote on X. «Threatening to arrest the democratically elected leader of one of America’s closest allies during U.N. General Assembly week isn’t bold. It’s reckless.» Adams also promised to welcome Netanyahu to the city.
Republican New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino went further, arguing that any attempt to enforce the ICC warrant would amount to rebellion against federal authority. «Just so we’re clear, this would be an act of insurrection,» Paladino wrote on X. «The United States is not a party to the ICC and it has no jurisdiction in this country. No law enforcement agency at any level has the authority to enforce its orders.»
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations and challenged the court’s jurisdiction. The United States is not a member of the ICC, and federal law prohibits state and local government entities from cooperating with ICC requests or providing support to the court.
The controversy comes amid broader tensions over U.S. policy toward Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Mamdani, a progressive Democrat who took office in January, has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions. His comments have drawn sharp rebukes from both Republicans and some Democrats, who argue that local officials should not attempt to shape foreign policy or enforce international legal instruments that the U.S. has not joined.
The New York City Mayor’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the legal feasibility of the proposal or the criticism it has generated. The UN General Assembly session is scheduled to begin in mid-September, and Netanyahu’s attendance is expected to draw protests and heightened security.
