US Ambassador Slams Mamdani’s Netanyahu Arrest Threat as ‘Political Theater’

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz called the remarks “pure political theater.”

By United with Israel Staff

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is reviewing whether it has the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Speaking on The Interview, a New York Times podcast, Mamdani said he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague” and described the Israeli leader as “a war criminal” based on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.

Mamdani said he is in “an active conversation” with the city’s Law Department over whether New York’s mayor has the authority to direct the NYPD to detain a visiting foreign leader.

“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,” he said.

The comments drew swift criticism from U.S. and Israeli officials, who dismissed the suggestion as legally baseless.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz called the remarks “pure political theater,” arguing that any such move would be blocked by federal law and longstanding diplomatic protections.

“The United States is not party to the Rome Statute that underlies the International Criminal Court. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of government. Head-of-state immunity applies, and federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes,” Waltz said.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also rejected Mamdani’s comments, saying Netanyahu would attend the General Assembly as planned.

“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens,” Danon said.

Mamdani, a longtime critic of Israel, has repeatedly advocated policies targeting the Jewish state. During his mayoral campaign, he pledged that New York City would comply with the ICC warrant against Netanyahu if the prime minister visited the city. He has also backed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

Mamdani also referred to pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC as “monsters,” a comment that drew widespread criticism from Jewish organizations and political leaders, who accused him of inflaming tensions at a time of rising antisemitism.

Despite the mayor’s comments, legal experts and U.S. officials have argued that decisions involving foreign heads of government fall under federal authority, not municipal jurisdiction, making any attempt by New York City to arrest Netanyahu highly unlikely.

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