Mamdani walks back pledge to arrest Netanyahu citing lack of authority

What the report says

BBC World News reported that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has retreated from an earlier pledge to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrested if he visits the city, saying his administration lacks the legal power to carry it out. In a social media video, Mamdani said his team had examined possible legal routes and concluded the city does not have independent authority to enforce the International Criminal Court warrant.

Mamdani instead urged the US federal government to join the ICC and act on the warrant, while saying Netanyahu is not welcome in New York. Netanyahu is expected to travel to the city in September for the UN General Assembly. The ICC issued warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza and for a Hamas commander. The US is not a member of the court, limiting the warrant’s practical effect on American soil.

The issue drew a response from President Donald Trump, who said Netanyahu would not be arrested in the United States and defended him in a Truth Social post. Trump was reacting to Mamdani’s comments to the New York Times that his administration was discussing the matter with law enforcement. Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, also criticized the mayor’s remarks.

The episode highlights the tension between local political statements and federal control over foreign affairs and international legal obligations. It also comes amid broader debate in the Democratic Party over US support for Israel during the war in Gaza, an issue Mamdani has made central to his public criticism of Netanyahu.