New York Mayor Mamdani Weighs Legal Action Against Netanyahu Ahead of UNGA

Mamdani had pledged to arrest Netanyahu during his mayoral campaign and says he is consulting city’s legal advisers.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he is consulting with city authorities about the possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the latter travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September.

In an interview released Saturday, Mamdani reiterated that Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, “belongs in the Hague.” “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani added. “Many share this view because of his actions over the years.”

Mamdani, a democratic socialist and vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, promised during his mayoral campaign to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli leader visited the city. He said his office is “in active conversation” with the city’s law department to determine whether such an arrest would be lawful. “Whatever the law allows, we will do,” he said, noting that he would not create new statutes to enable the arrest.

Netanyahu responded to the threat, telling radio host Sid Rosenberg that he believes Mamdani “hates America.” Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, confirmed that Netanyahu intends to attend the UNGA meeting in September despite any arrest threats.

Mamdani’s stance reflects a broader shift among Democratic voters. A May poll showed that roughly three‑quarters of Democrats oppose U.S. aid to Israel, up from 45 % three years ago. About half of respondents consider the party overly supportive of Israel, whose campaign in Gaza has been labeled a genocide by numerous human‑rights groups, officials and scholars.

Although this change has not yet translated into concrete policy at the party’s top levels, many Democratic lawmakers are adjusting their positions. Earlier this week, nearly half of the Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted to end U.S. aid to Israel—a measure that would have been considered unthinkable only a few years ago.

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