Incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reiterated that he intends to direct the New York Police Department to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the city while subject to an International Criminal Court warrant.

Mamdani made the comments during a live interview with ABC 7, repeating his claim that New York City should act as a jurisdiction that upholds “international law.”

Mamdani has been public about his position throughout his campaign.

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He has said that if elected mayor, he would seek to enforce the ICC warrant against Netanyahu, which stems from the conflict in Gaza.

He has also said he believes he is obligated to do so on the grounds of “international law,” despite the fact that the warrant is not recognized under U.S. law.

“So I’ve said time and again that I believe this is a city of international law. And being a city of international law means looking to uphold international law. And that means upholding the warrants from the International Criminal Court, whether they’re for Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin,” Mamdani said when asked whether he would order the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu during the next United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan.

“I think that that’s critically important to showcase our values. And unlike Donald Trump, I’m someone who looks to exist within the confines of the laws that we have. So I will look to exhaust every legal possibility not to create my own laws to do so,” he added.

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When asked whether the significance of the United Nations General Assembly would affect his decision, Mamdani said, “Well, I think we are a global city, but I also think what New Yorkers are looking for is consistency in the way in which we talk about our values and follow through on them. And that’s why I think these warrants from the International Criminal Court, they are worth fully exploring every legal possibility to actually follow through on.”

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 21, 2024.

The court cited allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“With regard to the crimes, the [Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I] found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Netanyahu…and Mr. Gallant…bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” the ICC stated.

The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize ICC jurisdiction.

The federal government has a longstanding policy rejecting the ICC’s authority.

President Trump issued an executive order in February 2025 imposing sanctions on the ICC and reaffirming that the court has no jurisdiction over U.S. soil or personnel.

Federal policy bars cooperation with ICC investigations involving U.S. interests or allies, making the warrant unenforceable in the United States without federal authorization.

President Trump warned Mamdani in July about his comments regarding enforcing ICC warrants.

The president told him to “behave or face consequences.”

Legal experts have questioned whether Mamdani’s plan could be carried out.

Professor David Bosco of Indiana University said the proposal “would almost certainly not happen,” calling it a “publicity stunt” and predicting that federal courts would intervene.

“Diplomatic immunity and the conduct of foreign relations are federal matters and the federal government is given wide discretion by the courts to manage foreign policy and international legal relations,” he said.

Mitch Silber, former NYPD director of intelligence analysis and head of the Community Security Initiative, said the NYPD “can’t take illegal acts, even if the mayor wants them to,” adding that an order to arrest Netanyahu on an ICC warrant would be prohibited under federal law and “overturned immediately.”

President Trump has said he will withhold federal funds and deploy federal assets to New York City if Mamdani attempts to enforce the ICC warrant.

The president has also indicated he is open to an in-person meeting with the incoming mayor.

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