Mamdani leans toward protest rights as New York City fails to arrest Netanyahu
After New York City failed to find legal means to arrest the Israeli prime minister, Mamdani reminded New Yorkers of their right to protest if the prime minister visits.
Mayor Zoran Mamdani stressed that New Yorkers still have the right to protest after New York City failed to find a legal path to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits.
“One of the foundations of our city is protest,” the mayor said at a press conference Wednesday after a reporter asked what those who disavow Netanyahu should do if he visits the United Nations in September.
“I’ve always said that when we respect the Constitution, we respect the First Amendment,” Mamdani said. “And here in New York City, we will always have a place to do that.”
The comments came after Mamdani called the prime minister a war criminal and called on the federal government to arrest him over Israel’s military actions in Gaza. He said New York City cannot legally detain the leader, but the United States could, despite President Donald Trump saying earlier this week that Netanyahu would not be arrested when he visits.
“What I’m saying is this is a city where protests are always respected, even if there are people who feel some level of dissatisfaction or opposition,” he said Wednesday. “We’ll leave that decision to New Yorkers themselves.”
Mamdani told the New York Times last week that the city’s legal department was considering options for arresting Netanyahu in New York City ahead of his scheduled appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
The ICC warrant, issued in November 2024, charges Netanyahu with war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of Israel’s military actions in Gaza. But the United States does not recognize the court, and protections are in place for leaders who visit the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
“My administration has considered all avenues available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to come here,” Mamdani said in a video statement Tuesday.
“It’s clear that we don’t have independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. But the federal government does.”
The mayor has repeatedly disowned the prime minister and said Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City.
“I want to make it clear that this welcome ends with me,” Mamdani said at a press conference on Wednesday. “If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other war criminals come to our city, I will not welcome them. I believe the federal government should join the International Criminal Court to ensure that they are held accountable for crimes against humanity.”
