US ambassador to UN slaps down Zohran Mamdani’s threat to have Benjamin Netanyahu arrested

US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, dismissed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the upcoming UN General Assembly as “pure political theater.” Waltz explained that the US is not party to the Rome Statute, diplomatic protections apply to visiting heads of government, and federal authority supersedes local wishes. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon criticized Mamdani for failing to govern New York and inciting hostility against Israel instead of addressing rising antisemitism. Danon affirmed that Netanyahu would attend the General Assembly to “state Israel’s truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens.” Mark Treyger, CEO of JCRC-NY, also stated that New Yorkers elected a mayor “to make our city safer, stronger and more affordable. Not to conduct foreign policy.”