Mamdani says NYC can't arrest Netanyahu, but federal officials should

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on federal officials to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu after referring to the Israeli prime minister as a "war criminal."

In a statement posted across the mayor's social media platforms Tuesday night, Mamdani said New York City would be unable to arrest Netanyahu after he directed city officials to look into legal pathways for his detainment if he visited.

Instead, he called on the federal government to arrest him, despite the president posting earlier this week that "Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America."

"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 if Benjamin Netanyahu came here," Mamdani said.

"It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does."

"Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large," Mamdani said.

"While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon."