CNN legal analyst dismisses Mamdani’s threat to arrest Netanyahu as ‘utterly ridiculous’

Trump: “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

CNN legal analyst Elie Honig on Tuesday dismissed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s suggestion that the city could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a future visit, calling the idea “utterly ridiculous” because the mayor has no authority to direct criminal prosecutions and the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court.

“Absolutely not. It is utterly ridiculous for the mayor of New York City to even suggest that he might have the authority to order the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu or any visiting foreign head of state. First of all, the mayor of New York City has zero law enforcement authority. He does not tell the Manhattan DA, the NYPD, who to arrest, who to indict,” Honig said.

Honig added that the United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court and that the court’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu has no legal effect in the country.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz also rejected Mamdani’s remarks, describing them as “pure political theater.” Waltz said federal authority supersedes local authority, head-of-state immunity applies, and the United States is not a party to the ICC.

President Donald Trump likewise rejected the prospect of Netanyahu being detained during a planned visit to the United States in September.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump wrote, “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America. He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors, and has spent the last 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others.”

He added, “The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago, by previous Presidents!”

Trump’s comments followed remarks by Mamdani during an appearance on “The Interview,” a New York Times program hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

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

He added, “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.”

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with alleged war crimes linked to the Gaza conflict.

Benjamin NetanyahuICCZohran Mamdani