The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, reported that his administration is studying whether it has the legal authority to order the detention of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, during a possible visit to the city to participate in the United Nations General Assembly in September.
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In an interview with the podcast The Interview, from The New York Times, Mamdani stated that he maintains an “active conversation” with the New York Legal Department to determine if he can instruct the city’s Police Department to execute the arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court.
“I believe Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” said the mayor, who added that his administration will act only within the powers contemplated by current legislation.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York, that is what we will do, but we are not going to write our own laws for that purpose,” Mamdani said, acknowledging that it is still unclear whether he has the necessary authority to order the procedure.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, for his alleged responsibility in war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The court noted that the charges include the alleged use of hunger as a method of warfare, as well as murder, persecution, and other inhuman acts. The existence of the warrant does not constitute a conviction, while Netanyahu and Israel have rejected the accusations.
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Mamdani had stated during his electoral campaign that he would seek to detain the Israeli prime minister if he entered New York. However, now as mayor, he has specified that any decision will depend on the analysis carried out by the city’s lawyers.
From Israel, the consul general in New York, Ofir Akunis, said that Mamdani does not have the authority to order the capture and urged him to focus on the administration of the city.
For his part, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, assured that the discussion will not change the prime minister’s plans and stated that Netanyahu will attend the General Assembly to address the member states.
So far, the New York City Hall has not communicated a definitive resolution on the powers of the municipal authority. The city’s official site confirms that Mamdani has served as mayor since January 1, 2026.
