NYC Mayor States No Authority to Arrest Netanyahu, Urges Federal Action

New York City Mayor Mamdani stated that the administration lacks independent authority to execute the ICC arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, while calling on the federal government to act.

Analysis of Legal Options and Federal Jurisdiction

– My administration reviewed all options available under applicable law to determine whether New York could execute the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Benjamin Netanyahu, Mamdani stated in a video posted on the platform X.

– It is clear that we do not have independent authority to execute this warrant. The federal government does possess it, and I urge it to join the ICC and execute it, added the mayor of New York.

– However, I want to be clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York. Just like any other war criminal, emphasized Mamdani.

Statements on The Hague and US Political Reactions

Mamdani: Netanyahu’s place is in The Hague.

A few days earlier, Mamdani told the “New York Times” that the legal team of the New York city hall was working on a way to execute the arrest warrant for Netanyahu for war crimes.

I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s place is in The Hague, said the mayor of New York.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump wrote on Monday on the TruthSocial platform that Netanyahu will not be arrested in any way. In his opinion, the people responsible for dragging Iran into a spiral of death and destruction should be arrested.

UN General Assembly Visit and International Diplomatic Clash

The Israeli Prime Minister may visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly session. His office accused Mamdani of distracting the public from his antics and attacking the leader of the Jewish state, which is the only democracy in the Middle East.

In response to Tuesday’s post by Mamdani, Israel’s representative to the UN, Danny Danon, wrote: You were elected to serve New Yorkers, not Hamas propaganda. Do your job!

ICC Arrest Warrants and US Stance

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in October 2024 for Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The suspicions concern the military operation launched by Israel after the attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas on that country on October 7, 2023.

The ICC also issued arrest warrants for several high-ranking Hamas officials, but withdrew them when they were killed by Israel during the war. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, under which the ICC was established.