Mamdani says NYC has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu as Trump weighs in
Mamdani: NYC has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu
New York City Mayor Mamdani has officially acknowledged that the city lacks the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
NEW YORK CITY - New York City Mayor Mamdani has officially acknowledged that the city lacks the independent legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
What we know:
The admission follows a week of back-and-forth discussions regarding the prime minister's expected visit to the city this September for the United Nations General Assembly.
Mamdani, who had previously floated the idea of detaining Netanyahu upon his arrival, clarified his administration's position in a video posted to social media.
"We do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant," the mayor stated. However, he made his personal and political stance clear, adding, "Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City."
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Dig deeper:
The controversy centers around an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024. The warrant targets Netanyahu for alleged war crimes related to the war in Gaza.
Despite recognizing the city's legal limitations, Mamdani urged higher authorities to intervene.
"The federal government, however, does," Mamdani stated. "And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant."
Enforcing the warrant remains legally unfeasible under current U.S. policy, as the United States does not recognize the ICC's authority. Consequently, the international court holds no jurisdiction over legal matters within the U.S.
Trump responds
What they're saying:
President Donald Trump quickly weighed in on the controversy, taking to Truth Social to push back against the mayor's declarations.
Trump firmly stated that Netanyahu "will not be arrested in any way, shape or form while in the United States of America."
Defending the Israeli prime minister's military campaigns, Trump wrote that Netanyahu is "fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protesters and has spent the last 47 years killing American soldiers and others."
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the social media accounts of Mayor Mamdani and President Trump.