New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is reviewing whether he can legally order the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for the UN General Assembly in September 2026. Mamdani described Netanyahu as a war criminal charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Gaza, stating, "I believe that prime minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague." [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of war crimes following the 2023 Hamas attacks and subsequent actions in Gaza. [1, 2, 4, 8, 5, 6, 7] Mamdani said he is uncertain whether the New York Police Department has legal authority to detain a foreign leader and is consulting the city’s legal team on the matter. [1, 2, 9, 3, 5, 6, 7] He has previously vowed to enforce ICC arrest warrants in New York against Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. [1, 2, 5, 6, 7]

Mamdani called on the US federal government to step in and enforce the ICC warrants, admitting the city lacks independent jurisdiction. [9] However, US President Donald Trump publicly declared Netanyahu will not be arrested in the US, praising Netanyahu’s efforts against Iran. "Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America," Trump said. [9, 8]

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon and Netanyahu’s office strongly condemned Mamdani’s statements. Danon accused Mamdani of inciting hostility rather than focusing on his mayoral responsibilities, particularly addressing rising antisemitism in New York. Netanyahu accused Mamdani of supporting Hamas and said, "I think, secretly, he hates America." [1, 5, 6, 7]

The US is not a party to the ICC Rome Statute and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction, limiting legal grounds for any arrest on US soil. [2, 4, 10, 11, 8]

Mamdani’s statements on July 18, 2026, signaled a possible legal challenge ahead of Netanyahu’s planned UN speech in September. Two days later, on July 20, 2026, the US administration and Israeli representatives publicly rejected the possibility of any arrest taking place in New York during the visit. [1, 2, 9, 8, 5, 6]

The situation remains legally and politically contested as the UN General Assembly approaches in September 2026.