Mamdani renews Netanyahu arrest call as Israeli PM arrives for UN speech

NYPD increases security around UN, reports no credible threats

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told CNN on Monday that he is again calling for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in New York to address the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. “I have described him as I believe him to be: a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people,” Mamdani said during the interview.

Within hours, Netanyahu struck back in a video on social media, accusing the mayor of “fomenting hate.” “Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews,” Netanyahu said.

The New York Police Department has heightened security around the General Assembly, though officials say there are no credible threats. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a recent security briefing that her department was prepared for the week. “Every year around the U.N. General Assembly time, we do see an uptick in the amount of protest activity. And this year, I do not expect to be any different,” Tisch said. Tisch, who is Jewish and wears a Star of David necklace, has spoken publicly about the NYPD’s role in protecting Jewish communities and reducing antisemitic crime.

Mamdani, who previously defended people’s right to protest, said last week he would not attend this week’s demonstrations. His focus, he said, is “ensuring that our city remains prepared to host representatives from across the world to keep New Yorkers safe.” He also said last week that NYPD officials had not asked him to dial down his rhetoric this week, and that his conversations with the police department “have been purely on standard preparations for this event, as well as standard preparations for keeping New Yorkers safe.”

The mayor earlier this year acknowledged that he does not have the authority to order Netanyahu’s arrest. In July, he said he had asked his legal advisers whether he could act on an International Criminal Court warrant if Netanyahu came to New York — a campaign promise — and he later released a video acknowledging he could not fulfill it. At a press conference at the time, he urged federal authorities to arrest the prime minister and said Palestinian supporters still had the option of protesting during Netanyahu’s visit.

Netanyahu, who is running for re-election, has used Mamdani as a foil in some of his campaign ads. In July, Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry criticized the mayor over those earlier arrest calls, accusing him of “activist posturing” that puts officers “in a bad position.” “But when the mayor of the city is actively calling for demonstrations, violent agitators will assume they have permission to cause as much havoc as possible,” Hendry said at the time.

Some Jewish leaders have pointed to a rise in antisemitic hate crimes in the city and voiced concerns that Mamdani’s rhetoric has made Jewish New Yorkers less safe. “He’s responsible for the climate that he creates in the city,” said Mark Treyger, chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, whose group is organizing a Wednesday rally to highlight the global rise of antisemitism. “I think that there is increased attention to [this] week because the mayor’s communication’s operation chose to make this political theater,” Treyger added.

Andrew Kirtzman, a communication strategist and biographer of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said Mamdani appears divided by competing pressures. “He seems torn by his anger at the Israeli government on the one hand and his responsibility to keep the temperature down for the sake of the city and Jewish New Yorkers,” Kirtzman said.

Mamdani has projected the image of a mayor for all New Yorkers, including Jewish residents, and has met with local rabbis to discuss his criticism of Israel. In May, he declined to participate in the city’s Israel Day Parade, citing his support for Palestinian rights. Earlier this week, he hosted President Donald Trump at Gracie Mansion, his official mayoral residence.

His position on Israel tracks with recent shifts in U.S. public opinion, with recent polls showing growing frustration with Netanyahu. Several progressive congressional candidates — including three endorsed by Mamdani — won Democratic primary contests over the summer after accusing Israel of genocide.