Could a New York City mayor order the detention of a foreign leader?
NDTV World reported that on September 13, 2025, Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, declared his intention to have Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apprehended by local police if elected and if Netanyahu visits the city, citing an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, a move fraught with legal hurdles and potential federal law violations.
This bold statement has stirred debate across political and legal spheres. Mamdani, who currently leads in polls for the November 2025 election, aims to uphold an ICC warrant despite the United States not recognizing the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC warrant accuses Netanyahu of grave offenses tied to the conflict in Gaza, where health officials report over 60,000 Palestinian deaths.
Mamdani’s proposal extends beyond just one leader; he also plans to pursue a similar approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin, against whom the ICC issued a warrant in 2023.
Legal experts question the feasibility of such actions, noting that detaining a foreign head of state could breach federal regulations and that immunity often protects such figures.
Columbia Law School professor Matthew C. Waxman described Mamdani’s idea as more symbolic than practical. He suggested it resembles a political gesture rather than a viable enforcement strategy.
Adding to the complexity, New York hosts the second-largest Jewish population in the U.S., and Mamdani’s stance might provoke significant opposition, particularly since he has not denounced a controversial anti-Zionist slogan, though he discourages its use.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to earlier threats in July 2025 from the White House, dismissed the notion as unserious. He expressed confidence in visiting the city alongside President Trump without issue.
Here are Mamdani’s own words on the matter:
This is a moment where we cannot look to the federal government for leadership. This is a moment when cities and states will have to demonstrate what it actually looks like to stand up for our own values, our own people.
Mamdani drew inspiration from past defiance of federal rules, pointing to former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom’s decision in 2004 to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite national restrictions. He sees his potential actions as a stand for local principles.
As the Gaza conflict persists, with Netanyahu vowing to continue until Hamas surrenders hostages from the October 7 attack that killed 1,200 people, Mamdani’s statements add another layer of tension to an already fraught situation.
His vision for New York as a bastion of global justice, alongside the practical and legal barriers, the potential community response, and the broader geopolitical context, remains a topic of intense discussion as the mayoral race approaches.
