Trump Official Throws Cold Water on Mamdani’s Netanyahu Promise

The Trump administration threw cold water on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s dream of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the proposal “pure political theater.”

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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz responded on Saturday after Mamdani revealed he was in “active conversation” with New York City’s Law Department over whether he could order Netanyahu’s arrest if the Israeli leader visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September. 

“Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen,” Waltz wrote on X. He went on to elaborate that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), the U.N. Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of government, longstanding head-of-state immunity applies, and “federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes.”

“This is pure political theater,” Waltz concluded.

Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu’s in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen:
1. The U.S. is not party to the Rome Statute that underlies the ICC,
2. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of gov’t,
3.…

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) July 18, 2026

Mamdani has repeatedly argued that Netanyahu should be arrested over an International Criminal Court warrant accusing the Israeli prime minister of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said during an interview with The New York Times. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”

While acknowledging uncertainty over his legal authority, Mamdani said his administration is actively reviewing whether New York City could detain Netanyahu if he arrives for the annual U.N. General Assembly. “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end,” he said.

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The comments marked a continuation of promises Mamdani made during last year’s mayoral campaign, when he pledged to direct the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu if he entered the city in compliance with the ICC warrant. At the time, Mamdani said, “It is my desire to ensure that this be a city that stands up for international law.”

Legal experts have long questioned whether such an arrest would be possible, noting that the United States does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and that any attempt by a city government to detain a sitting foreign head of government would almost certainly trigger a confrontation with federal authorities.

Netanyahu has dismissed Mamdani’s most recent threats, telling radio host Sid Rosenberg that he was unconcerned by the mayor’s rhetoric while accusing Mamdani of sympathizing with Hamas. “I think he should look at who he’s condemning, who he’s praising,” Netanyahu said. “He’s condemning Israel, the one democracy that stands shoulder to shoulder with American values.”

Netanyahu, appearing on Sid Rosenberg’s radio show, claims Mamdani “champions” Hamas and “apologizes and accuses for Iran,

“He is with the terror actors… I think, secretly, he hates America.” pic.twitter.com/x2ILVvhAFX

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) July 15, 2026

Waltz’s statement is the clearest indication yet that the Trump administration has no intention of allowing any effort by New York City officials to act on Mamdani’s proposal, effectively ending speculation over whether the mayor could attempt to use the ICC warrant during Netanyahu’s expected September visit.

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