New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has stepped back from his earlier pledge to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited the city, saying he does not have the legal authority to do so.

Mayor Revises Earlier Position

In a video posted on social media, Mamdani said his administration had examined all available legal options and concluded that the city lacked the independent authority to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"The federal government, however, does," he said, urging the United States to join the ICC and carry out the warrant.

ICC Warrant and US Position

Netanyahu is expected to visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly. Although the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes in Gaza, the United States is not a member of the court, meaning it is not obligated to enforce its warrants.

The ICC issued the warrant in 2024 as part of its investigation into the Gaza conflict. At the same time, it also issued an arrest warrant for a Hamas commander. The court has jurisdiction over allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of states that are parties to its founding Rome Statute.

President Donald Trump has rejected any suggestion that Netanyahu could face arrest while in the United States.

Writing on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said the Israeli leader would not be "arrested, in any way, shape or form" while in the US. He also praised Netanyahu's actions against Iran, saying he was fighting the Islamic Republic.

Campaign Promise Reversed

Trump's comments followed an interview Mamdani gave to the New York Times on Saturday, in which he said he was holding "an active conversation" with law enforcement about whether the ICC warrant could be enforced.

However, in his latest statement on Tuesday, Mamdani acknowledged that the city's legal powers do not extend to carrying out such an arrest. Even so, he said Netanyahu was "not welcome" in New York.

During his campaign for mayor, Mamdani repeatedly described Netanyahu as a war criminal and referred to the war in Gaza as a genocide. He had previously vowed to instruct police to arrest the Israeli leader if he came to the city, saying he intended to honour the ICC warrant.

Political Reaction

Mamdani's latest comments come as opinion among Democratic voters on US policy toward Israel appears to be changing. A recent poll found that 58% of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, compared with 45% in 2024.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticised Mamdani following his earlier interview, saying the mayor had been elected to represent New Yorkers rather than promote what he described as Hamas propaganda.

Join the discussion?

23 July 2026

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

Trump's comments followed an interview Mamdani gave to the New York Times on Saturday, in which he said he was holding "an active conversation" with law enforcement about whether the ICC warrant could be enforced.

What a racist idiot this guy is.

I wonder what the NYPD (which the nitwit wants to defund or otherwise get rid of) had to say in their "active conversation" with a mayor who wants them to disappear.

5 minutes ago, Leopold Bloom said:

What a racist idiot this guy is.

I wonder what the NYPD (which the nitwit wants to defund or otherwise get rid of) had to say in their "active conversation" with a mayor who wants them to disappear.

Can you post link to where he said he wanted to get rid of the police ? , or are you

just quoting what MAGA are saying without any proof at all .

regards worgeordie

Mamdani is a complete plonker.

Good Luck New York. You're gonna need it with this clown as mayor.

What an embarrassment to a once great country. Trump needs to sort him out.

Do not worry Mamdani, the good American people will give you the authority.

This is what happens when a representative of either side starts to brag and throw out comments like this when they know they can't it is like Click Baits on FB or YT.

Representatives like these exist because voter aren't as smart as they think they are and start to believe in nonsense that is how voting goes these days?

18 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Can you post link to where he said he wanted to get rid of the police ? , or are you

just quoting what MAGA are saying without any proof at all .

regards worgeordie

Personally, I've not heard any politician come out directly to say they want to get rid of police, like S.F. my hometown, they use words like funding, redirect, example these two Governor of California uses it all the time, then you got Trump who will just directly refer to funding/redirect as getting rid.

My yearly visits S.F. I've seen the redirected funding results reduced police presents since they are directed to higher priorities. Result, stores are robbed just under 1000 USD, no charges, homeless shooting up just outside schools, openly taking a dump in full view, funding redirected to hire anyone willing to work to operate machine to clean the streets, when taking public transportation, each stop in downtown area, you got people on welfare, with look alike police uniform, just standing playing with their phones at each boarding stops, and one would think minimum wages yes but in S.F. it is 20.00 USD an hour with benefits.

I'm all for redirecting or cutting waste, leaner meaner but that doesn't exist and both side is the blame sadly!

Both mean the same thing but whoever speaks more smoothly gets the vote!☹️

Edited July 23Jul 23 by thailand49

46 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Can you post link to where he said he wanted to get rid of the police ? , or are you

just quoting what MAGA are saying without any proof at all .

regards worgeordie

Yes, I can.

Your "MAGA" remark is mindless and does nothing to engage in civilized discourse (not that I actually expect that).

Is CNN leftist (or "non-MAGA") enough to satisfy you that the <deleted> ruining New York now has many times called for defunding the police. Here is one source: sorry if it's a bit long to read.

For some reason, I am being prevented from copying the link. However, if you care to follow it up, you should google CNN + July 31, 2025 + Gloria Pazmino (the author of the article).

Edited July 23Jul 23 by Leopold Bloom

Just a thought on his change of rhetoric??

Maybe he found his phone and all his aide's pagers were supplied by the same European country/company that supplied 'Hezbollah' with theirs??

Or,

Some guy called Moss. Add called offering a good price on life assurance

Shurely not!!! Shurely shum misteak.

1 hour ago, thailand49 said:

This is what happens when a representative of either side starts to brag and throw out comments like this when they know they can't it is like Click Baits on FB or YT.

Representatives like these exist because voter aren't as smart as they think they are and start to believe in nonsense that is how voting goes these days?

I think it's a "jumped up little tinpot leftist mayor" thing.

London suffers from the same affliction.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan: "Donald Trump Is Not Welcome Here"

Posts with derogatory nicknames, intentional misspellings, or personal remarks will be removed. Spell names correctly for all sides of the debate.

As I mentioned before. He is trying to get disappointed voters back (good try). Sounds like opened mouth without having any knowledge.

Brain dead New Yorkers voting this fifth columnist in was one of their stupider decisions .

I’d love Netanyahu to arrest this wolf in sheep clothing.

Just look across the pond to see what a disaster electing a Muslim Mayor has been.

4 minutes ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Just look across the pond to see what a disaster electing a Muslim Mayor has been.

Only racists would say that Khan has done a bad job, and that Mamdani lacks the authority for the arrest has nothing to do with his capacities as mayor.

What about at state level ?

Maybe the governor of NY can arrest the war criminal or

keep him out of the state.

22 minutes ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Brain dead New Yorkers voting this fifth columnist in was one of their stupider decisions .

I’d love Netanyahu to arrest this wolf in sheep clothing.

Let's all chip in a few bucks and get Mamdani a holiday to Israel. 😄

22 minutes ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Just look across the pond to see what a disaster electing a Muslim Mayor has been.

He has indeed been a terrible mayor. Of course, the useful idiots and traitors will say that anyone criticizing him is a racist. It's all they have left at this point.

7 minutes ago, FlorC said:

What about at state level ?

Maybe the governor of NY can arrest the war criminal or

keep him out of the state.

Tony Blair is in town?

I thought this was about Netanyahu?

Mandami should concentrate on what he was elected for. Focus on law and order, roads and garbage removal. You are only a mayor, albeit of a big city, but a mayor nevertheless, with same responsibilities as a small western town. Get back to the basics.

41 minutes ago, FlorC said:

What about at state level ?

Maybe the governor of NY can arrest the war criminal or

keep him out of the state.

Mamdani lost his cojones all of a sudden.

The legal nitpicking is just an excuse.

Either Trump or Mossad spooks scared the pee out of him.

1 hour ago, CallumWK said:

Only racists would say that Khan has done a bad job, and that Mamdani lacks the authority for the arrest has nothing to do with his capacities as mayor.

And only idiots (useful idiots) would think that Khan is anything but a devious little turd.

52 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Let's all chip in a few bucks and get Mamdani a holiday to Israel. 😄

He has indeed been a terrible mayor. Of course, the useful idiots and traitors will say that anyone criticizing him is a racist. It's all they have left at this point.

That’s all the’ve ever had.The irony being that once strong words like racist,nazi, facist are just watered down nothings now.

Unlike “useful idiots” which does exactly what it says on the tin.

8 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Mamdani is a complete plonker.

Good Luck New York. You're gonna need it with this clown as mayor.

What an embarrassment to a once great country. Trump needs to sort him out.

But someone needs to sort out trump as a first step...

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Let's all chip in a few bucks and get Mamdani a holiday to Israel. 😄

Advocating violence there Jonny? Wouldn't have expected anything different from a far right MAGA

8 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Mamdani is a complete plonker.

Good Luck New York. You're gonna need it with this clown as mayor.

What an embarrassment to a once great country. Trump needs to sort him out.

What an embarrassment to a once great country. Trump needs to sort him out.

I thought you were referring to Trump

9 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Can you post link to where he said he wanted to get rid of the police ? , or are you

just quoting what MAGA are saying without any proof at all .

regards worgeordie

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/mamdani-backs-away-from-out-of-step-defund-the-police-posts-00485172

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

What about at state level ?

Maybe the governor of NY can arrest the war criminal or

keep him out of the state.

No, the governor of New York can't order the arrest of Netanyahu. Under the U.S. judicial system, only federal government officials are empowered to deal with foreign heads of government. If the NY state police attempted to detain or arrest Netanyahu, that would be a violation of U.S. law.

The U.S. is not a party to the Rome Statute and has never consented to the ICC’s authority. ICC warrants mean nothing in the U.S. Moreover, the U.S. enacted a federal law in 2002- the American Service-Members' Protection Act (ASPA)- which forbids U.S. law enforcement at all levels- federal, state and local- from cooperating with the ICC.

ASPA not only protects U.S. citizens from arrest on an ICC warrant, but also protects "covered allied persons (military personnel, elected or appointed officials, and other persons employed by, or working on behalf of, the government" of a number of countries, including Israel.

https://2001-2009.state.gov/t/pm/rls/othr/misc/23425.htm

9 hours ago, Leopold Bloom said:

Yes, I can.

Your "MAGA" remark is mindless and does nothing to engage in civilized discourse (not that I actually expect that).

Is CNN leftist (or "non-MAGA") enough to satisfy you that the <deleted> ruining New York now has many times called for defunding the police. Here is one source: sorry if it's a bit long to read.

For some reason, I am being prevented from copying the link. However, if you care to follow it up, you should google CNN + July 31, 2025 + Gloria Pazmino (the author of the article).

Mamdani said Wednesday he does not plan on defunding the New York Police Department or decreasing its headcount if elected in November. Instead, he has proposed creating a “Department of Community Safety” that would respond to some emergencies, including incidents involving people experiencing mental health crises. Mamdani has also said he wants to reduce the NYPD’s overtime budget and ensure that officers are focused on the most serious crimes.

He said this at his wedding, after the most serious mass shooting in 25 years. (Where did he get the gun, Fred?)

In one June 2020 post on X, Mamdani wrote: “We don’t need an investigation to know that the NYPD is racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety. What we need is to #DefundTheNYPD.”

Adams and Cuomo [Mamdani's electoral opposition] have suggested Mamdani would put public safety at risk because of his previous calls to change how the NYPD operates.

Mamdani "called to defund the police in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and his promise to disband an elite unit within the NYPD known as the Strategic Response Group. He believes New Yorkers should not have to choose between safety and justice.

Bill de Blasio never followed through on his campaign promise to "reform the police". Anybody who thinks they don't need reforming has never been a New Yorker.

I grew up in NYC. I know exactly how corrupt NYC police are! I'm not sure it's possible to rein in such a rogue agency. Where will the Mayor find honest cops?

4 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Only racists would say that Khan has done a bad job,

Why do you say that? Is no one allowed to express a different opinion?