Conflict over Netanyahu's visit to US reaches new level

Netanyahu's lawyer Alan Dershowitz threatened to arrest New York Mayor Zohan Mamdani if he tries to prevent the prime minister's visit to the US for the UN General Assembly. Dershowitz also announced a mass support rally in Central Park and compared Mamdani to Nazi Germany.

The conflict surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the US for the UN General Assembly has entered a new phase. Alan Dershowitz, an American lawyer and member of Netanyahu's defense team, stated on Newsmax that New York Mayor Zohan Mamdani could be arrested if he attempts to obstruct the visit. The trigger was Mamdani's calls to execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Netanyahu, issued in 2024 on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza. Dershowitz claims that the mayor's actions would violate US law protecting foreign leaders and that New York authorities lack the authority to enforce ICC warrants. He also announced a mass support rally in Central Park, expecting to gather 100,000 people. Dershowitz sharply criticized Mamdani, accusing him of legitimizing antisemitism and comparing him to Nazi Germany. Mamdani rejected the accusations, stating that his criticism is directed at Israel's policies, not Judaism. Dershowitz also noted that the ICC case was weakened after the removal of prosecutor Karim Khan, but the warrants remain in effect.