New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced he is consulting legal advisors to determine if he can order police to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly in New York City [1, 2, 3]. Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal charged by the International Criminal Court" and declared, "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do" [1, 2].

Mamdani has previously stated his intent to enforce ICC arrest warrants against leaders including Netanyahu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin [1]. He said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague" and emphasized his view that Netanyahu should face justice under international law [1].

The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu in 2024, alleging reasonable grounds that he committed war crimes connected to Israel’s Gaza offensive following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 [1]. Israel has condemned the ICC warrant, stating it will ignore the charges while continuing military operations against Hamas, which Israel calls a "genocidal terrorist organization" that uses Palestinian civilians as human shields [3].

Netanyahu’s office swiftly denounced Mamdani’s statements, accusing the mayor of diverting attention from harm caused to New York by his policies and attacking Israel, described as "the only democracy in the Middle East" [1, 2, 3]. The office called the ICC a "kangaroo court" lacking jurisdiction over Israelis or Americans and called the arrest warrant "bogus," noting it was issued by former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan shortly before misconduct allegations against Khan emerged [1, 3].

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Mamdani’s threat, calling him "a communist, antisemitic mayor trying to make news for his own audience" and dismissing any chance of Netanyahu’s arrest during the UN gathering [3]. Pompeo said, "It's just simply not going to happen, and he knows it."

The conflict centers on whether U.S. local authorities can act on an ICC warrant when Netanyahu attends the UN General Assembly scheduled for September 2026 in New York [1, 3]. Mamdani's consultations and public declarations have escalated tensions ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit.

Netanyahu’s office responded with an official denunciation posted on July 19, shortly after Mamdani’s remarks on July 18 became public [1, 3]. The UN General Assembly is planned for September, where Netanyahu’s arrival could prompt further legal and political confrontations [1, 3].