Mamdanis Examines Legality of Detaining Netanyahu in New York

SadaNews - New York Mayor Zahraan Mamdani said today, Saturday, that his administration is exploring whether it has the authority to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city.

Mamdani explained that his administration is consulting with the city's legal advisor regarding the possibility of executing the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu, based on accusations of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

This announcement comes ahead of a planned visit by Netanyahu to New York next September to participate in the United Nations General Assembly meetings.

This represents a transition of the matter from an electoral pledge made by Mamdani during his campaign for the mayorship in 2025 to legal consultations about the limits of his administration's authority and the feasibility of executing the warrant.

The American newspaper "The New York Times" quoted Mamdani saying that his administration is having "active discussions" with the city's legal advisor regarding the case.

He added, "We will do everything the law allows us to do in New York City, but we will not create our own laws for this purpose."

Mamdani had previously announced during his election campaign in 2025 that he intended to instruct the New York Police to arrest Netanyahu if he visited the city, based on the warrant from the International Criminal Court.

Mamdani also stated in previous remarks that he believes "Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," which is the seat of the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, describing him as a "war criminal."

The court had previously issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, due to reasonable grounds to believe in his responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The accusations include using starvation of civilians as a weapon of war, in addition to murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

Despite the existence of the arrest warrant, the possibility of executing it in New York faces legal obstacles, given that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court.

Responding to Mamdani's statements, Israeli Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, said that the city mayor does not have the authority to issue an order to detain the Israeli Prime Minister.

Akunis added, according to the Israeli newspaper "Maariv": "Instead of getting involved in matters he has no authority to intervene in, it would be better for him to manage New York City."

The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, also criticized the New York Mayor, saying that: "Mamdani has failed to manage New York," and added, "If someone needs to be arrested, it is New York Mayor Zahraan Mamdani," accusing him of focusing on incitement against Israel.

Netanyahu had already stated that he is not concerned about Mamdani's pledge to detain him, asserting that he will visit New York despite the mayor's stance and accused him of supporting Hamas.