Mayor Zohran Mamdani says New Yorkers outraged by Netanyahu visit can protest

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Jul 22, 2026

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NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani said that New Yorkers outraged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to New York City can take to the streets and protest.

The mayor announced Tuesday that the city would not legally be able to arrest Netanyahu on an International Criminal Court warrant as he’d hoped. He urged the federal government, which does have the ability to make the arrest, to do so.

“One of the bedrocks of our city is protest,” Mamdani said Wednesday. “It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special that New Yorkers can express themselves whether they are in support or opposition, no matter on whatever topic.”

A spokesperson for Mamdani declined to say whether the mayor himself plans on protesting Netanyahu’s arrival in New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly.

The mayor had said earlier this month that his law department was looking into any avenues to make the arrest over Netanyahu’s role in alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. The United States does not recognize the ICC’s authority and is not a member. President Donald Trump has said he will not arrest Netanyahu.

Mamdani on the campaign trail said he would seek to order the NYPD to arrest the prime minister, despite legal experts warning the move would not be legal.

The mayor declined to say when, exactly, his team told him the city would not be able to make the arrest, although as recently as Monday he seemed to back down from his previous messaging around the possibility.

Mamdani spoke Wednesday of the over 70,000 Palestinians reported to have been killed since the war on Gaza began.

“This is something that has not only offended the conscience, the morals, the mere humanity of so many New Yorkers, but it has also ripped apart the lives of many who are personally affected by it as well,” he said. “I think that it is incredibly important that we ensure that we have done all of our due diligence when conducting a review. So I wanted to ensure that no matter what we heard from anyone on the topic, that I actually asked my team to do that.”

Mamdani’s continued call for Netanyahu’s arrest has prompted a wave of criticism from Jewish organizations, as well as far-right U.S. politicians.

“New Yorkers elected a mayor to lead this city—not to make Israel the centerpiece of your political grandstanding,” the UJA-Federation of New York said in a statement, accusing Mamdani of antisemitism for going after the Israeli prime minister. “Shame on you.”

An ICC warrant is a highly symbolic step. The over 120 countries that have signed on to the court, including nearly all countries in Europe and many in Africa and Latin America, are obligated to carry out arrest warrants on Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and anyone else with a warrant out should they set foot on their soil. However, some countries have ignored the warrants.

In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin opted not to participate in the General Assembly after the ICC issued a warrant for him earlier that year.

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