By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-07-18 21:16:41 | Updated at 2026-07-19 01:55:40
4 hours ago
New York's Zohran Mamdani has told The New York Times that he is in 'active conversations' with local law enforcement to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he so much as sets foot in Manhattan.
'Look - I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,' the 34-year-old mayor maintained after being prodded about Netanyahu's potential presence at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
'He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,' Mamdani told the Times' Lulu Garcia-Navarro.
'What you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years.'
Mamdani then made a disclaimer, saying that he and officials 'will follow the laws that we have' in the city of New York.
'Because I believe that there's an importance in following the law as a leader who presides over our city. And that's something that I plan to do.'
Garcia-Navarro interjected to ask for clarification - to which Mamdani 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.'
After Garcia-Navarro asked what local laws would permit, Mamdani stated, 'That's an active conversation with our legal department.'
New York's Zohran Mamdani told The New York Times Friday that he is in 'active conversations' with local law enforcement to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neyanyahu if he attends the UN's General Assembly later this year
The new mayor admitted even he was unclear on whether he had the bounds to give such an order. The UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for Netanyahu's arrest for war crimes in late 2024.
Mamdani went on a tangent about seeing 'at the national level' a 'desire to write your own laws' and 'go outside the bounds of legality.'
'That's not something we have an interest in,' Mamdani maintained.
Garcia-Navarro pointed out how foreign leaders and diplomats are typically offered 'some sort of amnesty' during such trips.
'I think we are looking at all of our legal obligations,' Mamdani said, before warning that his reaction to Netanyahu's alleged war crimes was not 'a personal assessment' of the leader.
'We're talking about the International Criminal Court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister's arrest,' he said, citing the 'weight' of such a charge.
'As the mayor of New York City, I'll be following the laws of New York City,' Mamdani concluded.
The conversation moved on from there.
Netanyahu was in attendance at the 2025 assembly, after in the international court that houses the Hague issued the warrant mentioned by Mamdani. He was not arrested because the US is not a member of the International Criminal Court
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has said that Netanyahu will be in attendance this September, despite the threats. The event draws leaders from around the world once a year
Netanyahu was in attendance at the 2025 assembly, well after the international court that houses the Hague issued the warrant mentioned by Mamdani.
He was not arrested because the US is not a member of the International Criminal Court, which is comprised of 125 member states. Other major non-members include Russia, China and India.
Mamdani first aired his intent to arrest Netanyahu while running for mayor late last year.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has said that Netanyahu will be at the annual gathering this September, despite the threats.
