US Ambassador to UN Obliterates Zohran Mamdani’s Arrest Threat Against Netanyahu

Mike Waltz, US ambassador to the United Nations, slammed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly as “pure political theater.”

Waltz laid it out clearly: “Mayor Mamdani. Here’s why your threat to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu’s in New York City during UN General Assembly is not going to happen.”

The US envoy pointed out that the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, which is the foundation of the International Criminal Court. He emphasized that the UN Headquarters Agreement provides diplomatic protections for visiting heads of government. Head-of-state immunity applies, and federal authority overrides any local mayor’s whims.

The General Assembly is set for early September, and tensions are already flaring.

Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations in New York, countered that “if anyone should be arrested, it is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.”

Danon accused Mamdani of failing to govern effectively, stating, “Instead of focusing on his responsibilities as mayor and confronting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he has chosen to incite hostility and generate headlines by attacking the State of Israel.”

Danon asserted that Netanyahu will not be deterred: “It will not change a thing. 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.”

Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY, weighed in, declaring, “New Yorkers elected a mayor to make our city safer, stronger and more affordable. Not to conduct foreign policy.”

Treyger urged Mamdani to focus on pressing local issues: “The mayor should be in active conversations about raising pay for New York City’s paraprofessionals, early childhood educators, EMS workers and other essential city workers whose futures are directly within the city’s responsibility.”