Mamdani says he won't try to arrest Israel's Netanyahu, acknowledges NYC doesn't have legal authority

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Tuesday that the city lacks the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite his previous campaign pledge to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant if Netanyahu visited for the United Nations General Assembly. Mamdani stated, "It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant." He subsequently urged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu, whom he called a "war criminal." The United States does not recognize the ICC's authority. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon condemned Mamdani's comments, accusing him of spreading "blood libels."