SEVERAL protests broke out in New York City on Thursday demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be arrested the “minute” he enter the UN General Assembly.
Police detained more than 100 people during an initial demonstration organised by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), which attempted to block Israel’s delegation as it arrived at the UN headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.
Among those arrested were actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, as well as Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democratic nominee for a New York congressional district and ally of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Further demonstrations took place in the city later on Thursday, including one organised by Palestinian Youth Movement and The People’s Forum, which saw “thousands” join in chants of “Netanyahu you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”
Jodie Evans, co-founder of the feminist peace group CODEPINK, said Netanyahu is “a war criminal. He should be arrested. They should have arrested him the minute he walked through those doors.”
Speaking to The National outside the UN headquarters, Evans said: “He has blood on his hands. He and Trump have shown this week that the UN has no power. That civil society has no power.
“So it’s up to all of us to take that power back and get in the way of this utter madness - a genocide, bombs dropping on innocent people.”
The activist and documentarian added that she was “very heartened” by the “thousands of activists” who joined the protest from around the US and “from all over the world”.
“It’s up to the people. Everything else is failing, and we must stop this now.”
Lisa, a New York-based activist who only gave her first name, said she had an “obligation” to attend the protest as a US citizen.
“Americans have a special responsibility and a right to object to what is happening. My tax dollars are facilitating and actively funding this genocide and related atrocities,” she explained.
From Brooklyn, Dave Robinson agreed, saying: “It’s important New Yorkers show up to let the world know that we know murderers like Trump and Netanyahu when we see them.
“And we know genocide when we see it. We’re never going to normalise it, and we are never going to stop calling it out.”
Oisin Mulholland, who was visiting New York but lives in London, joined the demonstration to show international solidarity in the “seat of international power.”
He said he could not “ignore the fact a war criminal and someone committing genocide is able to speak for an hour at the UN General Assembly, whilst having an arrest warrant.
“It’s important to show our solidarity here, as we do in London and across the UK.”
During his speech at the UN, Netanyahu rejected accusations of genocide in Gaza, branding the claim the “biggest lie of the century”.
He also took aim at the New York Mayor, calling him anti-semitic and claiming that since Mamdani came to lead the city “many Jews no longer feel safe in New York”.
Mamdani responded saying the Israeli PM has repeated “baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide”, adding the he remained the subject of a International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
During his run to become mayor, Mamdani had promised to arrest Netanyahu, but later walked back his pledge, claiming he does not have the legal authority to execute the arrest.
Human rights lawyer Jake Romm said that while it is true he would not have been able to detain the Israeli leader, Mamdani’s words have sparked a broader conversation on the issue.
Such an action, he explained, would be unlikely because it would first have to be certified by the Donald Trump-appointed Attorney General Todd Blanche, Romm explained.
However, the US representative for the Hind Rajab Foundation, which pursues legal action against those responsible for atrocities against Palestinians, explained that there were several other legal avenues for Netanyahu to be arrested in the US during his visit.
He told The National: “Netanyahu has not only committed international crimes, as we know from the ICC arrest warrant, but he has also committed crimes under US law.
“Namely, he has violated the War Crimes Act and the Federal Genocide Statute. These are US domestic laws.”
Romm added: “The law is extremely clear. The only thing that is lacking is political will.
“This administration, like the administration before it, not only supports Israel and supports its genocide, but is also deeply complicit in the genocide. Criminally complicit in that genocide.
“So they are not going to arrest Netanyahu for crimes they support, both materially and politically.
“Israel has enjoyed impunity forever. Since the state existed. It has been committing crimes against the Palestinian people, the people of Lebanon and has never been held accountable.
“And that is because of the US’s position in the world system, and Israel’s position vis a vis the US.
“I think states around the world are afraid to undertake [legal processes] which they are obligated to do, because they are afraid of angering the US, and to a certain extent, they’re also afraid of angering Israel.
“But this doesn’t change their legal obligations.”
He added: “This is a test for the international legal system and it has manifestly failed to meet the moment. And if it continues to do so, then we are back to the law of the jungle. Back to might is right.”
