New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani repeated his intention to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister visits the Big Apple under the Democrat's leadership, should he be elected.
Mamdani told The New York Times that he would honor an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Netanyahu by having New York Police Department officials arrest the prime minister at the airport.
That, despite the U.S. not being a party to the ICC and not recognizing its authority.
Mamdani, who claimed Netanyahu was a war criminal committing genocide in Gaza, reiterated comments from earlier in the mayor's race that he would arrest the prime minister.
"This is something that I intend to fulfill," the self-described Democratic socialist said, the Times reported.
Mamdani in December told interviewer Mehdi Hasan that he would have Netanyahu arrested.
While meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in July, Netanyahu called it "silly" that Mamdani pledged to arrest him if he visited the city.
"I'm not concerned," Netanyahu told reporters. "There's enough craziness in the world, but I guess it never ends. ... It's silly in many ways, because it's just not serious."
Trump then added: "I'll get him out."
Arresting Netanyahu would be a practical impossibility and could violate federal law, according to some legal experts, the Times reported.
Also, Jewish leaders who have expressed concern about some of Mamdani's policy stances could be turned off by the candidate's insistence that he would arrest Netanyahu.
Attempting to use the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu under an ICC warrant would likely bring Mamdani into conflict with the federal government.
"This isn't even a close call," Columbia Law School professor Matthew C. Waxman told the Times.
"In my mind, this statement is more a political stunt than a serious law-enforcement policy."
Mamdani also said he would arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom the ICC issued an arrest warrant in 2023.
"It is my desire to ensure that this be a city that stands up for international law," he said, the Times reported.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.