Top American jurist calls New York City mayor the greatest perpetrator of anti-Jewish hate in America today.By World Israel News StaffJurist Alan Dershowitz warned that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani could himself be arrested if he attempts to obstruct Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s expected visit to the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September.Dershowitz, a Harvard Law School professor emeritus who is helping Netanyahu challenge the International Criminal Court’s case against him, issued the warning during an interview with Newsmax.“If Mamdani does anything to interfere with Bibi Netanyahu’s arrival in New York and speech, he will be arrested,” Dershowitz said.He did not identify a specific criminal charge that Mamdani would face or explain who would order such an arrest. His argument appears to rest on federal control over foreign relations and US obligations to permit representatives of UN member states to travel to and from the organization’s New York headquarters.Under the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, federal, state and local authorities may not obstruct the transit of representatives traveling to the headquarters district on official business. The agreement also places ultimate responsibility for compliance with the federal government rather than city authorities.Dershowitz said he would defend Netanyahu if Mamdani or the city attempted to detain or otherwise interfere with the Israeli leader.Mamdani repeatedly pledged during his mayoral campaign that he would seek Netanyahu’s arrest if the prime minister entered New York, citing the warrant issued by the ICC in November 2024.After reviewing the issue with the city’s legal department, however, Mamdani acknowledged last week that New York does not have the power to carry out the warrant independently.“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said in a video statement.He instead called on the federal government to join the ICC and execute the warrant. Mamdani continued to describe Netanyahu as a war criminal and said the Israeli leader was not welcome in New York.President Donald Trump responded by guaranteeing that Netanyahu would not be detained during a US visit.“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.The US is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize the court’s claimed jurisdiction over Israeli or American nationals. Israel is also not a member of the court and has rejected both its authority and the accusations against Netanyahu.Dershowitz also announced plans to organize a rally of as many as 100,000 people in Central Park to welcome Netanyahu during his anticipated September visit.He said Netanyahu might not be welcome at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, but would be welcomed by large numbers of New Yorkers.Dershowitz sharply criticized Mamdani’s record on Israel and antisemitism, accusing the mayor of legitimizing anti-Jewish hostility and creating an increasingly threatening political climate for Jewish residents.The mayor has falsely accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, and has been criticized for his response to protests at synagogues inside the city.The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, alleging responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.The court claimed there were reasonable grounds to believe the two leaders were responsible for using starvation as a method of warfare and for crimes including murder and persecution.Israel has rejected the allegations, arguing that it facilitated large quantities of humanitarian assistance while fighting Hamas in densely populated territory and that the court lacks jurisdiction because Israel never joined it.Netanyahu’s office denounced the decision as antisemitic and compared the ICC’s action to the Dreyfus affair.Dershowitz argued that the case was further discredited by the removal of ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday following sexual-misconduct allegations. Khan denied wrongdoing and said he would challenge the decision.The post Dershowitz warns Mamdani could face arrest if he interferes with Netanyahu’s UN visit appeared first on World Israel News.