New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday evening that he may order the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli leader visits New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly. The statement adds to ongoing tensions between the two leaders, with Israeli officials previously dismissing Mamdani's authority to make such an arrest.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani explicitly stated Saturday evening that he may order the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli leader arrives in September for the UN General Assembly. The statement, reported by The Zioneer, marks the latest escalation in a public feud that has unfolded over the course of the day.
The Zioneer has tracked this story through multiple updates. Earlier Saturday, Mamdani first claimed discussions were underway to arrange Netanyahu's arrest, then said he was clarifying the legal authority and called Netanyahu a 'war criminal.' In a subsequent interview with The New York Times, he said he would arrest Netanyahu if local law permits. Israeli officials quickly rejected the threats: Consul General Ofir Akunis said Mamdani has no authority to make such an arrest, and UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Mamdani of incitement, stating that if anyone should be arrested, it is Mamdani himself.
The Zioneer has previously reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu said Mamdani 'secretly hates America,' and that Danon had earlier called for Mamdani's arrest. The New York Post reported that a senior Mamdani official planned a meeting with Iran's UN envoy, which was blocked by the US administration. Mamdani, a Democrat, has campaigned with figures accused of supporting Hamas.
The legal basis for a city mayor to order the arrest of a visiting foreign leader remains unclear. Mamdani has not specified the mechanism he would use, and the Israeli government has dismissed the threat as without legal standing.
7 developments
- StrongIsrael's UN envoy Danon calls for NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani's arrest
- DevelopingNYC Mayor Mamdani calls Netanyahu a 'war criminal,' vows to work for his arrest
- StrongIsrael's UN envoy Danon confronts UNRWA critics, labels staff 'terrorists'
- StrongNew York Post: Mamdani's foreign affairs chief planned Iran UN meeting, blocked by US
Source and signal
- Internal intake