Sources inside the NYPD say that Mayor Mamdani’s attacks on Prime Minister Netanyahu could turn the premier’s visit into a “Category 5” hurricane, raising the risk of violence and even assassination attempts.By World Israel News StaffNew York City law-enforcement officials are warning that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s increasingly confrontational rhetoric toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could make an already difficult security operation considerably more dangerous when the Israeli leader visits the city for the UN General Assembly next month.Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York for the annual gathering of world leaders and is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 26.Anonymous NYPD and other law-enforcement sources told the New York Post that Netanyahu’s visit will require an unusually extensive security operation because of both the threat environment surrounding the Israeli prime minister and demonstrations expected during his stay.One law-enforcement source blamed Mamdani for adding substantially to the challenge.“Basically, he’s making what would be considered a Category 1 hurricane that we deal with every year into a Category 5 because of his words,” the source said.The officials cited Mamdani’s repeated denunciations of Netanyahu, his previous pledge to have him arrested under an International Criminal Court warrant and his recent comments defending demonstrations against the Israeli leader when he visits New York.The Post reported that Netanyahu could require a protective detail involving 60 or more NYPD officers when both personnel accompanying him directly and officers securing surrounding areas are included. His complete itinerary has not yet been determined, meaning the final security deployment remains uncertain.The NYPD itself stopped short of publicly criticizing Mamdani. In its official response to the Post, the department said it would coordinate with the Secret Service, State Department and other federal agencies and determine protection for visiting foreign leaders based on threat assessments.The distinction is significant: the strongest allegations against Mamdani came from unnamed police and city-government sources and the Detectives’ Endowment Association rather than an official statement from NYPD leadership.The tensions follow a July 22 City Hall press conference in which Mamdani was asked what New Yorkers opposed to Netanyahu should do when the Israeli leader arrives for the General Assembly.“I think one of the bedrocks of our city is protest,” Mamdani responded.Pressed on whether he was specifically urging his supporters to demonstrate, Mamdani said he would respect their right to do so but would leave the choice to individuals.“I leave it to New Yorkers themselves to make that decision,” he said.Those comments came shortly after Mamdani abandoned his campaign-era pledge to order Netanyahu’s arrest if the prime minister entered New York.The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity connected to the Gaza war. Israel rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction and strongly denies the allegations. Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the court.After asking city lawyers to examine the issue, Mamdani acknowledged in July that New York City does not have the power to enforce the warrant.“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said.Legal experts told Reuters that there are several obstacles to such an arrest. US law contains no mechanism for enforcing ICC warrants, federal law bars extradition from the United States to the ICC, and sitting foreign leaders and representatives traveling to UN proceedings generally have significant immunity protections.Mamdani has nevertheless continued to argue that the federal government should join the ICC and enforce its warrant against Netanyahu, while saying he would not welcome the prime minister to New York.Netanyahu responded late last month by accusing the mayor of “fomenting hate,” while insisting that he would travel to New York despite Mamdani’s opposition.“He’s supposed to be the mayor of all New Yorkers — Jews, Christians, Muslims, everyone,” Netanyahu said, arguing that Mamdani was instead encouraging division.President Donald Trump has also intervened in the dispute, assuring Netanyahu in July that he would not be arrested while in the United States.Police sources now say the political confrontation has practical consequences for the officers responsible for securing Netanyahu’s visit.The security operation is expected to stretch well beyond protecting Netanyahu himself. Police will need to secure his hotel, motorcade routes and any locations he visits, while simultaneously policing expected demonstrations and maintaining security around the wider UN General Assembly gathering, according to the Post.One source raised the possibility that an individual among the protesters could attempt to attack Netanyahu, while another warned that officers could themselves become targets or be injured during confrontations surrounding demonstrations.The Post also quoted an anonymous City Hall source blaming Mamdani’s rhetoric for worsening antisemitic tensions in New York. That causal assertion has not been independently established.Antisemitic hate crimes remain a major concern in the city.The NYPD maintains a dedicated hate-crimes reporting system, while Mamdani himself kept and reorganized a mayoral office tasked with combating antisemitism when he took office in January.The post NY police warn Mamdani’s attacks on Netanyahu could lead to violence – report appeared first on World Israel News.