By Brooke Anderson

 

NEW YORK, 17 Sept. - (ANA) - A mass demonstration is planned against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest his United Nations General Assembly speech at the end of September.

 

Thousands of people from across the country will be meeting at Times Square in the morning of 29 September, and will then march to the UN building to demand the arrest of Netanyahu for his military assault on Gaza and for Israel's sanctioning by UN member states.

 

"How can a war criminal be allowed to speak to the international community while his genocidal army is committing unspeakable crimes against humanity?" said Miriam Osman, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement, in a public statement.

 

"Palestinians are being murdered en masse in Gaza, yet the international community remains silent. Sanctions against Israel are the bare minimum," she added.

 

Plans for the demonstration follow the UN's announcement on Tuesday of their findings that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, as Israel begins a major ground invasion of the besieged enclave.

 

In response to news of the invasion, some progressive politicians expressed their strong opposition to Israel's actions.

 

Congressman Greg Casar of Texas, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, posted on social media, "We must stop funding this genocide."

 

"Hundreds of displaced Palestinians live in Gaza City. They will have to flee again or risk being killed," he continued.

 

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 64,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been directly killed by the Israeli military since Israel began its genocidal war nearly two years ago.

 

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging the war crimes of starvation, murder and persecution.

 

 All ICC member states (which do not include the United States) would be required to arrest these officials.

 

New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who is leading in the polls for November's election, has said he would have Netanyahu arrested if he visited the city.

 

"It is my desire to ensure that this be a city that stands up for international law," Mamdani told The New York Times last week.   - (ANA) - 

 

AB/ANA/17 September 2025 - - -