Netanyahu’s New York UN visit sees unusual US Secret Service security involvement

This comes after NYC Mayor Mamdani admitted that his office lacked the authority to arrest the prime minister, though he emphasized that Netanyahu "is not welcome in New York City."

Unusual involvement by the US Secret Service has been evident in preparations for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UN General Assembly in New York, a diplomatic source told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

The source, familiar with the details, also confirmed that Netanyahu will land at Newark Airport in New Jersey, closer to Manhattan than JFK Airport in Queens, where the prime minister’s plane usually parks.

The source denied that the decision could be connected to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani or to concerns over a possible provocation. He clarified that the matter stems from discussions with the airport over where the plane will be parked during the current visit and how it will be secured.

Netanyahu is expected to land in New York on Wednesday, September 23, and address the UN at 9 p.m. Israel time, and return to Israel before Sukkot, on September 25.

Netanyahu prepares to depart for UNGA after NYC Mayor Mamdani admits he cannot arrest him

According to the source, a preparatory delegation from the Prime Minister’s Office and the VIP security unit arrived on Tuesday night to finalize details of the visit.

Last month, sources in the New York Police Department estimated that more than 60 police officers and detectives could be involved in the direct and perimeter security arrangements surrounding Netanyahu, alongside federal, diplomatic, and Israeli security personnel.

Mamdani has previously addressed the possibility of Netanyahu traveling to New York for the UN General Assembly after pledging during his election campaign to order the prime minister’s arrest in accordance with a warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court.

“I believe Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. “He is a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”

“This is a view that many people hold, simply because of the consequences of his actions in recent years," he added.

The NYC mayor then said that it was clear that “we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant."

Still, he asserted that Netanyahu “is not welcome in New York City.”