NYC Mayor Drops Promise to Arrest Netanyahu Over ICC Warrant

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:25:59 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani backs off his pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calls on U.S. officials to act on an ICC arrest warrant.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who once vowed to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City, said in a recent video that he lacks the legal authority to do so. He urged U.S. authorities to enforce the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Mamdani also warned that Netanyahu would not be welcome in New York City during his upcoming visit for the UN General Assembly. The ICC’s warrant is grounded in the Rome Statute, but the United States is not a member of the court. The mayor’s stance reflects growing scrutiny of U.S. support for Israel amid shifting public opinion among Democrats.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani changes his stance on Netanyahu arrest.

In a video posted on social media, the mayor said he does not have the authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is expected to visit New York for the UN General Assembly in September. Mamdani previously pledged to do so, citing an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Technically, if Netanyahu stepped onto the soil of an ICC member state, he could be arrested and handed to the court, but the United States—where the visit would take place—is not a party to the Rome Statute.

The mayor urged U.S. officials to join the ICC and enforce the warrant. He called Netanyahu “not welcome” in New York City and highlighted that President Donald Trump has already threatened that Netanyahu would not be arrested in the U.S.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and a Hamas commander. Mamdani’s remarks come amid a shift in Democratic voters’ support for Israel, with a poll reporting 58% of Democrats thinking the U.S. is too pro‑Israel, up from 45% in 2024.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, responded to Mamdani’s remarks stating that the mayor should focus on serving New Yorkers, not “Hamas propaganda.”