A Democrat state lawmaker is demanding New York’s attorney general investigate whether Mayor Zohran Mamdani committed a crime by threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming visit to the United Nations.
Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein fired off a scathing letter to Attorney General Letitia James, arguing that Mamdani’s threats against the Israeli leader aren’t just political theater. They may constitute official misconduct under New York law, a Class A misdemeanor.
The controversy erupted after Mamdani, the New York City mayor, announced his legal team was actively exploring whether the city could arrest Netanyahu based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. One problem: the United States doesn’t recognize the ICC, and visiting heads of state enjoy absolute diplomatic immunity.
“While elected officials possess the right to express their personal opinions, a public official cannot attempt to leverage their executive authority to direct local law enforcement actions against an individual based on personal, political, or ideological views,” Eichenstein wrote in his letter to James.
The Brooklyn assemblyman laid out the legal case in stark terms. Under New York’s Criminal Procedure Law, mayors cannot simply order local police to arrest individuals without a judge-issued warrant or local probable cause. Pressuring the NYPD to carry out what would amount to an illegal arrest, Eichenstein argued, abuses executive power and threatens the independence of law enforcement.
“Under New York Penal Law § 195.00, a public servant who knowingly performs an unauthorized act, and misuses their official position to pressure law enforcement into making an arrest, may be guilty of official misconduct,” Eichenstein explained.
President Trump made the administration’s position crystal clear, declaring that Netanyahu will not be arrested “in any way, shape, or form.” Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, a Democrat, bluntly dismissed the mayor’s stunt as “clown” behavior.
Mamdani has remained unrepentant. He doubled down in recent comments, insisting his legal team continues exploring options to execute the ICC warrant when Netanyahu arrives in Manhattan.
The ICC itself faces serious credibility problems that make Mamdani’s reliance on its warrant even more questionable. The tribunal has been rocked by explosive allegations that its former chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was promised protection by Qatar in exchange for pursuing warrants against Israeli leaders.
