U.S. Ambassador Criticizes Mamdani’s Proposal to Arrest Netanyahu

U.S. Ambassador Deems Mamdani’s Proposal as “Political Theater”

Zohran Mamdani’s assertion to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to New York City has sparked controversy. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has labeled this as “political theater.” Mamdani, a Democratic mayor candidate, had expressed his intentions in conjunction with Netanyahu’s attendance at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Mamdani has communicated with legal offices in New York City to explore the possibilities of detaining Netanyahu. He emphasized compliance with existing laws: “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.”

Mike Waltz, representing the U.S. at the UN, criticized Mamdani’s statements via social media, highlighting the limitations placed by international and U.S. law regarding such actions.

Legal and Diplomatic Challenges Highlighted by Waltz

With many world leaders scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly, Netanyahu is expected to be present and deliver a speech. Waltz, who previously served as U.S. national security adviser, has pointed out several legal barriers to Mamdani’s proposal.

Key among these is the fact that the U.S. has not ratified the Rome Statute, the founding document of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This omission means the U.S. is not obligated to enforce ICC rulings. Additionally, Waltz referenced head-of-state immunity and legal protections under the UN Headquarters Agreement, safeguarding officials attending UN meetings.

The Reason Behind Mamdani’s Arrest Intentions

Mamdani’s intention to arrest Netanyahu relates to an ICC warrant released in November 2024. This warrant followed an investigation into alleged crimes associated with Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The ICC concluded there were grounds to believe Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant were responsible for offenses such as using starvation as a warfare tactic and targeting civilians.

In his campaign for mayor, Mamdani pledged to uphold the ICC warrant if elected, pledging to detain Netanyahu upon his arrival in New York.

Despite Mamdani’s stance, Netanyahu confirmed his plans to visit New York during a virtual interview conducted in December. Mamdani stated in an interview that the ICC’s charges reflect widespread concerns about Netanyahu’s actions, describing him as a “war criminal.”

For further insight, Newsweek has reached out to the Mayor’s office and the Israeli prime minister’s office.