New York City — July 21st, 2026- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has released a video statement saying that New York City does not have the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite previously stating during his campaign that he would seek to do so if Netanyahu visited the city.
In the video, Mamdani referred to Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and said he is not welcome in New York City. He also spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, stating that more than 73,000 Palestinian have been killed since the war began and describing the loss of innocent lives as unacceptable.
Mamdani explained that, following a legal review by his administration, New York City does not have the authority to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. He instead called on the federal government to enforce the ICC arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu, saying the responsibility to execute the warrant rests with federal authorities rather than the city.
By Kevin Shakil