Mamdani rows back on arresting Netanyahu, says NYC doesn’t have ‘legal authority’

WorldPolitics
22 Jul 2026 • 4:13 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Mamdani rows back on arresting Netanyahu, says NYC doesn’t have ‘legal authority’

Zohran Mamdani says New York City doesn’t have the “legal authority” to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking on Tuesday, the city’s mayor said: “My administration reviewed every avenue to determine whether New York City could execute the ICC’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here. It is clear we do not have the independent legal authority,” Mamdani said.

The statement follows earlier comments to the New York Times, in which Mamdani suggested NYC was exploring ways to execute the International Criminal Court warrant ahead of Netanyahu’s visit to the UN General Assembly in September.

Mamdani added that enforcing ICC warrants rests solely with the federal government, declaring: “Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.”

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