NY Mayor says still mulling Netanyahu arrest during UN meet
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is consulting with legal teams regarding the possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit to the UN General Assembly. The move follows ICC allegations of war crimes, drawing sharp criticism from Israeli officials who labeled the rhetoric as incitement.
Why it matters
This potential conflict highlights the tension between local municipal authority and international diplomacy, as well as the deep political polarization surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in talks over whether to try to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an upcoming UN summit, he said in an interview published on Saturday (July 18, 2026)— prompting a sharp rebuke from Mr. Netanyahu's camp.
"I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," Mr. Mamdani told The New York Times. "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."
The leftist Mr. Mamdani, who has called Israel an "apartheid regime," added: "That is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years."
Mr. Mamdani admitted he was not sure if he has the power to order the New York Police Department to detain a foreign leader but is discussing the matter with the city's legal team.
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