Why did Mamdani Backtrack on Arresting Netanyahu?
The mayor of New York says he has no legal authority to enforce the arrest warrant issued against the Israeli prime minister, calling on the federal government to take action.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Wednesday that he does not have the legal authority to enforce the arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit the city next September to attend the meetings of the United Nations General Assembly. He called on the federal government to take this step, after previously pledging to examine the matter from a legal standpoint.
In a video posted on the platform X, Mamdani said that Netanyahu had been accused of committing war crimes and held him responsible for the « genocide » that has allegedly claimed the lives of more than 73,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
He pointed to attacks targeting children and hospitals in Gaza, the blockade restricting the delivery of food, and the killing of humanitarian workers and journalists. He added: « The bombs that kill people are funded with American taxpayers’ money. »
Israel has maintained a blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007. Around 1.5 million Palestinians out of a population of approximately 2.4 million are now homeless and living in catastrophic conditions after their homes were destroyed by the war described as genocidal.
A ceasefire agreement was reached last October, following more than two years of war and violence that began in October 2023, with U.S. support, and which reportedly left more than 73,000 Palestinians dead and more than 173,000 wounded.
Despite the agreement, Israel continues its military operations in Gaza through the blockade and daily bombardments, which continue to cause deaths and injuries. Israeli authorities are also preventing sufficient quantities of food, medicine, medical supplies, and shelter materials from entering the territory.
Mamdani explained that New York City authorities had examined all legal avenues concerning the enforcement of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, but that they did not possess independent authority to enforce it. He added: « The federal government has that authority, and I call on it to join the International Criminal Court and enforce the warrant. »
He stressed that Netanyahu, as well as all other individuals accused of war crimes, had no place in New York City.
On Saturday, Mamdani had said that his administration was examining whether it had the authority to arrest the Israeli prime minister if he visited the city to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings scheduled for next September.
The New York Times quoted him as saying that his administration was engaged in « active discussions » with the city’s legal counsel regarding the matter.
During his 2025 election campaign, Mamdani had previously announced his intention to instruct the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, based on the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. He had also previously stated that he believed « Netanyahu’s place is in The Hague », the seat of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, and described him as a « war criminal ».
On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, citing reasonable grounds to believe that he was responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The charges include using the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, as well as murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
