US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz responded to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly, calling it 'pure political theater,' according to a report. The statement escalates the diplomatic clash over the potential arrest.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz directly dismissed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly, calling it 'pure political theater' and stating the threat 'will not materialize.' The comment, published at 22:50 Jerusalem on Saturday, marks the latest escalation in the diplomatic clash over the potential arrest.
In a series of reports published at 22:50 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported that Waltz had responded to Mamdani citing four legal reasons why the arrest could not proceed, including the US not being a party to the Rome Statute and federal authority overriding local wishes. That was followed by a version from N12 that included Waltz's characterization of the threat as 'pure political theater.' The full statement, now confirmed by The Zioneer, combines both elements.
The US administration's opposition to legal action against Israeli leaders has been a consistent theme. As The Zioneer reported on June 7, Prime Minister Netanyahu met with a US legal delegation to discuss countering what was described as 'legal warfare' against democracies fighting terrorism. This broader context underscores the administration's stance.
It remains unclear whether Mamdani will pursue any legal avenue or if the threat will have any practical effect. No further details on potential consequences were provided.
2 developments
Source and signal
- Internal intake