New York City Mayor Joran Mamdani's statement about potentially arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the upcoming UN General Assembly in September has sparked outrage among Israeli and American Jewish communities.
In an interview with The New York Times on July 18, Mamdani revealed that he is actively discussing the authority of the New York City Law Department regarding Netanyahu's arrest. He stated, "I believe Netanyahu should be in The Hague (where the International Criminal Court is located) as he is a war criminal indicted by the ICC." However, he acknowledged uncertainty about whether he has the legal authority to order the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu, adding, "I will do whatever is allowed by New York City law to facilitate the arrest, but I will not create laws for that purpose."
Previously, during his campaign last year, Mamdani had indicated he would instruct the police to arrest Netanyahu, reaffirming that promise with his recent comments.
Legal experts have raised questions about the legality of a mayor ordering the arrest of a head of state, according to the NYT. Furthermore, the United States is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its authority. The Trump administration has been actively working to dismantle the ICC.
Harold Koh, a Yale Law School professor and expert in the field, analyzed the situation, stating, "If Netanyahu is inside the UN headquarters, he is exempt from arrest due to diplomatic immunity, but if he is driving around New York City, he could be at risk." He added, "The real question is whether Netanyahu is prepared to face such a situation, and the same goes for the mayor."
Immediately following Mamdani's remarks, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz responded, calling the mayor's comments "pure political theater" and asserting that Netanyahu would not be arrested during the UN General Assembly. He emphasized that the U.S. is not a party to the Rome Statute, which underpins the ICC, and that the UN headquarters agreement guarantees diplomatic protection for heads of state, meaning that immunity applies and federal authority supersedes local mayoral wishes.
Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon added, "If someone should be arrested, it should be Mayor Joran Mamdani," criticizing him for focusing on attacking Israel to gain media attention instead of addressing the rising anti-Semitism in the city.
Netanyahu recently expressed that he is not concerned about Mamdani's threats and accused the mayor of supporting Hamas, a claim that Mamdani has denied, according to The Hill. Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, including the killing of thousands of residents in the Gaza Strip.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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