US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz on Saturday dismissed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his expected visit to New York for the UN General Assembly, calling the proposal "pure political theater."
Responding to Mamdani's remarks, Waltz wrote, "Mayor Mamdani: here’s why your threat to arrest PM Netanyahu in NYC during UNGA is not going to happen."
He listed four reasons for his position, writing: "1. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute that underlies the ICC, 2. The UN Headquarters Agreement grants diplomatic protections to visiting heads of government, 3. head-of-state immunity applies, & 4. federal authority trumps any local mayor’s wishes."
"This is pure political theater," Waltz concluded.
On Saturday, Mamdani called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and said he is looking into arresting him during an upcoming visit.
In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court."
Mamdani also said that he is in "active conversation" with New York City's legal officials on whether he may arrest a foreign leader, adding, "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."
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon criticized Mamdani's remarks, stating, "Mamdani is failing to govern New York. 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."
"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."
"And if anyone should be arrested, it is NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani."
Israeli Consul General in New York Ofir Akunis also rejected the mayor's comments, saying, "The mayor of New York City has no authority to order the arrest of the Prime Minister of Israel. Instead of dealing with matters over which he has no authority, he should start running New York City and only New York City."