Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is on notice, with a new video calling on the federal government to arrest the world leader since he lacks the authority.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mamdani made his case to the government to hold Netanyahu accountable and arrest him in response to the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in November 2024.
“My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant ifBenjamin Netanyahucame here,”Mamdanisaid. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.”
Mamdani repeatedly called Netanyahu a “war criminal” and referred to Israel’s ongoing occupation and military action against the Palestinians in Gaza as a “genocide” in the two-minute video. The 2024 warrant charges Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes, and directs 124 nations to arrest them if they step foot on their soil – but Israel and the United States are not signatories to this statute.
He had reiterated his desire to have Netanyahu arrested in an interview with the New York Times over the weekend. It was a part of Mamdani’s platform when running for office in 2025, which alarmed many pro-Israel supporters and right-wing politicians. Several Republicans, including New York Representative Mike Lawler, denounced Mamdani’s
post.
Netanyahu is slated to attend the 79th General Assembly of the United Nations, which will take place in New York City in September. He has scoffed at Mamdani’s call for his arrest, while calling him a supporter of the Hamas terror organization. President Donald Trump stated in a post on his Truth Social media platform that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”