NYC Mayor Mamdani urges US to arrest Netanyahu, calls him 'architect of horrific genocide'

NEW YORK – 22 July 2026: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday called on the US federal government to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits the United States later this year.

Meanwhile, Mamdani said city authorities lack the legal authority to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Netanyahu.

In a video posted on social media, Mamdani described Netanyahu as "a war criminal" and "the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people."

Mamdani urged federal authorities to enforce the warrant, saying the US government has the legal authority to act. He also said Netanyahu is "not welcome" in New York City, adding that the same applied to "any other war criminal at large."

Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York in September to attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza war.

Such crimes include using starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against civilians.

A year later, the United Nations independent international commission of inquiry (COI) found Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, urging member countries to hold the perpetrators accountable.

Under Netanyhau, Israel has killed over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023, and continues to breach a ceasefire reached last year, killing over 1,000 people since then.