New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met on Thursday morning with Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, in a last-minute addition to the former’s schedule.
Joe Calvello, press secretary to the mayor, told JNS that Mamdani and Waltz had a “productive discussion with a focus on planning ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, as the city prepares to host leaders from around the world.”
The meeting was closed to the press.
JNS sought comment from the U.S. mission to the United Nations and asked Calvello if the mayor and the U.S. envoy discussed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned visit to the Big Apple next month for the General Assembly.
Mamdani had denounced Israel often and accused it of “genocide,” and he campaigned on having Netanyahu arrested in New York City. He has since admitted that he lacks the legal authority to do so but asked the federal government to detain the Israeli premier.
The International Criminal Court, a body in The Hague that is independent of the United Nations, has an active arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the court or recognizes its authority.
Mamdani has also encouraged protesters to picket Netanyahu’s visit. Some in the New York City Police Department have reportedly said that the mayor’s comments about the Israeli leader’s visit to New York could endanger cops.
The Trump administration has sanctioned at least 13 judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, in part due to the “war crimes warrants” it issued against Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to run from Sept. 22-28. Netanyahu is slated to speak on Sept. 24.
