Zohran Mamdani, Benjamin Netanyahu: Mayor's desire to arrest Israeli prime minister sparks backlash from UJA Federation of NY

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism from the UJA Federation of New York for his repeated desire to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his arrival for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Mamdani stated, "I will not be welcoming Benjamin Netanyahu or any other war criminals when they come to this city." Although his legal team determined he lacks the authority for such an arrest, Mamdani aims for the city to uphold an International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu, citing charges of "crimes against humanity." The UJA Federation of New York, represented by Hindy Poupko, senior vice president, urged the mayor to "stop his relentless and singular focus on the only Jewish state of Israel" and focus on uniting the city, arguing that "demonizing rhetoric against Israel leads to violence against Jews." Mamdani has condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks but also labeled the Israeli offensive in Gaza as an act of genocide.