Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu plans to address the UN General Assembly in September as his clash with New York's mayor reaches the streets Wikimedia Commons

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed aside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's calls for his arrest, confirming he will address the United Nations General Assembly in September and setting up a standoff between a city and a foreign leader.

Netanyahu responded on Sunday by accusing Mamdani of 'fomenting hate' for branding him a war criminal. Defying the mayor's rhetoric, the Prime Minister insisted he will still travel to New York this September to 'speak the truth' for Israel directly from the UN podium.

What Mamdani Actually Said

Mamdani, who campaigned on a pledge to detain Netanyahu, conceded last week that New York City has no legal power to carry out the warrant. He called on federal authorities to act instead and urged residents to protest the visit. His video laying out those limits drew tens of millions of views online.

'Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do,' Mamdani told reporters, ruling out any move to write new laws.

Why the City Cannot Make the Arrest

The barrier is jurisdiction. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, yet neither the US nor Israel recognises the court.

President Donald Trump has already stepped in, writing that Netanyahu 'will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form' while in the US. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz called the arrest talk 'pure political theatre', pointing to the diplomatic immunity that shields visiting heads of government.

Rebecca Ingber, a law professor at Cardozo School of Law, agreed that state immunity protects a sitting leader, and former prosecutors warn any officer attempting an arrest could face federal charges.

What September Could Look Like

For ordinary New Yorkers, the clash means disruption. During last year's Assembly, the New York Police Department (NYPD) deployed thousands of officers, closed streets, flew drones, and patrolled the waterways around UN headquarters as several thousand people protested Netanyahu's speech. City officials called that operation heightened out of caution, and residents near the complex faced days of gridlock and rolling road closures.

This year the department faces the same job under a mayor who backs the demonstrations. Police union president Patrick Hendry warned that Mamdani's call to protest puts officers in danger, saying agitators could treat it as permission for disorder.

Netanyahu Points to Prosecutor's Removal

Netanyahu dismissed the ICC charges as 'bogus' and tied them to the court's ousted chief prosecutor. The ICC's Assembly of States Parties voted on Friday to remove Karim Khan over sexual misconduct allegations, with 82 of 125 members backing the move. Khan's legal team says the case was political payback for the Netanyahu warrant.

The warrant followed Israel's offensive in Gaza after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people. More than 75,000 Palestinians have since died, according to the Gaza health ministry. Netanyahu also warned that the once solid bipartisan US support for Israel is fraying as progressive Democrats rally behind Mamdani.

For now, the fight looks set to play out on the streets of Manhattan.

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