Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon on Monday dismissed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his upcoming September visit, asserting that the mayor has no legal authority to carry out such a move. Danon characterized the threat as a political stunt aimed at diverting attention from the city's own governance problems.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani, a Democrat, revealed that his administration is consulting with the city's legal department on whether there is any legal basis to detain Netanyahu if he attends the UN General Assembly. Mamdani labeled the Israeli leader a 'war criminal,' referencing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant issued in November 2024 over alleged war crimes related to Israel's military operations in Gaza.
Danon pushed back forcefully, telling NewsNation that the mayor's remarks have no foundation. 'We all know it's a stunt. He wants to distract the conversation from his failures in running the city and put the blame on Israel,' Danon said. He pointed out that the United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, meaning the court's warrant carries no weight on American soil. 'The U.S. is not part of the ICC so there is no warrant against a prime minister in the U.S., and there is no jurisdiction for the mayor,' Danon added.
The ambassador also cited the UN Headquarters Agreement, which guarantees foreign leaders access to the international body's New York headquarters for official business. He argued that Mamdani's threat violates longstanding diplomatic norms. 'The only thing the mayor can do is sit on the sidelines and maybe learn something about the rule of law,' Danon said.
President Donald Trump also weighed in, issuing a strong statement on Truth Social that Netanyahu would face no arrest while in the United States. 'Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,' Trump wrote. He framed the issue in the context of the broader conflict with Iran, accusing Tehran of killing thousands of protesters and American soldiers over decades. 'The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION,' Trump added.
Netanyahu's office issued a scathing statement on Sunday, denouncing both Mamdani and the ICC. The statement called the ICC a 'kangaroo court' with no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis, and attacked former ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued the warrant shortly before facing allegations of sexual misconduct. 'Instead of backing Khan's criminal behavior, Mr. Mamdani should focus on fixing the damage his policies have caused New York,' the statement said. It accused the mayor of 'attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East.'
The dispute underscores a growing rift within the Democratic Party over Israel policy, as progressive figures like Mamdani push for accountability while establishment voices defend the US-Israel alliance. For a deeper look at how this tension is reshaping party dynamics, read our analysis on Mamdani's Netanyahu arrest threat and the Democratic rift over Israel.
Mamdani, a first-term mayor who rose to prominence as a democratic socialist, has used the threat to burnish his progressive credentials, but critics argue it risks sidelining him from mainstream political influence. His office has not yet provided a timeline for the legal review.
