Israeli envoy says New York has no authority to arrest Netanyahu

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has dismissed comments by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggesting the city is examining whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be arrested if he attends the UN General Assembly in September.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said his administration was in “an active conversation” with the city's legal department about whether legal authority existed to arrest Netanyahu during a visit to New York, describing the Israeli leader as a “war criminal.”

Responding to the remarks, Danon said Mamdani had no authority to take such action.

“The person who should be arrested is not our prime minister. It is you, Mr. Mamdani. Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York. He will stand at this very podium. He will speak for the State of Israel. He will defend the people of Israel — and there is nothing you can do to stop him,” Danon said.

He added: “Your threat has no legal basis. We all know that the United States is not a member of the ICC.”

US President Donald Trump also commented on the issue, saying Netanyahu “will not be arrested” if he travels to the United States.

By Sabina Mammadli