Zahran Mamdani considers arresting the occupation government's prime minister if he visits New York City - Sarmad
The Israeli Consulate General in New York, Ofer Akunis, responded on Saturday to Zohran Mamdani’s remarks, affirming that he “has no authority” to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
On Saturday, The New York Times revealed that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is considering issuing an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he set foot in the city to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meetings in September.
During his 2025 election campaign, Mamdani had pledged that, if elected, he would arrest the Israeli government’s head of state if he visited New York City.
Speaking on “The Interview” podcast, Mamdani said, “I believe Netanyahu’s natural place is The Hague (headquarters of the International Criminal Court). He is accused of war crimes, and many share this view due to his actions over the past years.”
Despite revealing “active discussions” with New York’s legal affairs department regarding the possibility of detention, Mamdani admitted he was unsure whether he possessed the legal authority to instruct the city police to arrest Netanyahu, stating, “We will do what New York law allows, but we will not invent new laws to achieve this goal.”
On the other side, the Israeli Prime Minister downplayed the threats and accused the New York Mayor of supporting Hamas, saying, “Who supports him? Hamas, which openly expresses its desire to exterminate every Jew on Earth and committed that horrific massacre, the worst since the Holocaust. He should reconsider whom he condemns and whom he praises. He condemns Israel, the only democratic state in the region that upholds American values.” He added that opposition to Israel amounts to hostility toward America, continuing, “Secretly, he hates America.”
For his part, the Israeli Consulate General in New York, Ofer Akunis, responded on Saturday to Mamdani’s statements, affirming that he “has no authority” to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, adding, “Instead of meddling in matters outside his jurisdiction, he should have focused his efforts solely on managing New York City.”
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges related to war crimes and crimes against humanity. Additionally, Istanbul’s High Criminal Court issued an international arrest warrant against the Israeli government’s head in July 2026. These warrants obligate 125 states that are parties to the Rome Statute to arrest and surrender Netanyahu if he enters their territories.
However, enforcing these warrants in New York remains subject to legal obstacles, as the United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, thereby weakening any potential legal action against Netanyahu within U.S. territory.
