Mandani
© ShutterstockNew York Mayor Zohran Mamdani
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said city attorneys are reviewing whether local authorities could legally detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the United Nations gathering in Manhattan.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is examining whether the city could attempt to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Mamdani acknowledged that he has not determined whether the mayor's office or the New York Police Department possesses the legal authority to detain a visiting foreign leader. He said the question is being discussed with city attorneys and that any action would depend on their interpretation of applicable law.

"Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do," Mamdani said in an interview published Saturday by The New York Times.

The mayor argued that Netanyahu should face proceedings before the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader in 2024 over alleged conduct during the war in Gaza.

"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," Mamdani said. "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."

Mamdani, a left-wing politician who has previously described Israel as an "apartheid regime," said his position reflects objections to Netanyahu's conduct over several years.

"That is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years," he said.

The ICC said in 2024 that it had reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu bore responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity arising from Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Israel launched the offensive after Hamas carried out its Oct. 7, 2023, attack, killing civilians and taking hostages.

Netanyahu and the Israeli government have rejected the court's allegations.

The United States is not a member of the ICC, and questions remain about whether city or state authorities could enforce one of the court's warrants against a foreign leader visiting the United Nations.

Mamdani has previously said the NYPD should enforce ICC warrants against leaders who enter New York, including Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

His latest remarks drew an immediate response from Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, who accused the mayor of using the issue to attack Israel rather than addressing problems within New York City.

Danon wrote on X|:
"Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel.

"It will not change a thing. Israeli Prime Minister @netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel's truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.

"And if anyone should be arrested, it is @NYCMayor Zohran Mamdani."
Netanyahu has also criticized Mamdani directly, accusing him of sympathizing with Hamas. "I think, secretly, he hates America," Netanyahu said during a recent appearance on a New York radio program.

The dispute comes ahead of the annual General Assembly session at U.N. headquarters, where heads of state and senior government officials from around the world are expected to deliver speeches and hold diplomatic meetings.

Whether Netanyahu will attend has not been formally confirmed in the information provided, but Danon said the prime minister intends to travel to New York and address the gathering.