Far-left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is actively exploring whether the city has the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for this month's United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), escalating one of his sharpest criticisms yet of the foreign leader.In remarks first reported by The New York Times, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" who "belongs in the Hague" and said his administration is in an "active conversation" with the city's Law Department over what legal authority New York City possesses should the Israeli prime minister travel to the Big Apple.The comments from self-described Democratic socialist Mamdani raises questions about the limits of a mayor's authority over foreign affairs and whether New York City could take legal action against a visiting head of government.POTENTIAL 2028 DEM CONTENDER UNLOADS ON NETANYAHU, ADMITS US-ISRAEL TIES AT 'CROSSROADS'Mamdani said his administration is exploring whether the city has legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a potential visit for the U.N.General Assembly.
(Anna Connors/Pool/Getty Images)Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor's office asking whether Mamdani stands by calling Netanyahu a "war criminal," whether City Hall is actively consulting with the Law Department regarding possible legal action against the Israeli leader, and whether the mayor would direct the NYPD to arrest Netanyahu if attorneys determined the city had legal authority.The mayor's office did not immediately respond.U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz slammed Mamdani's remarks as "pure political theater," saying the mayor has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu.In a post on X, Waltz argued that the U.S.
is not party to the ICC's founding treaty, the U.N.Headquarters Agreement protects visiting heads of government, head-of-state immunity applies and "federal authority trumps any local mayor's wishes....