NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday acknowledged that he cannot actually arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his past pledges to do so.

Mamdani first made the pledge during his mayoral campaign more than a year ago, although legal experts said he did not have the authority to make the arrest.

The issue surfaced again this week when the New York Times asked Mamdani if he still planned to arrest Netanyahu, who visits New York each fall for the United Nations General Assembly.

Mamdani said he was holding an “active conversation with our legal department” over the question of arresting Netanyahu and will do what the law allows.

Mamdani finally acknowledged he could not arrest Netanyahu in a video statement posted to social media.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” Mamdani said.

“He belongs before a court of law. As I’ve said, I agree with the [International Criminal Court] that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his crimes,” Mamdani said.

“My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant,” he said. “It is clear we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.”

Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx — Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026

Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal. pic.twitter.com/YRezmW6YVx

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) July 22, 2026

Despite Mamdani’s designation of Netanyahu........

© The Times of Israel