India, July 19 -- New York's new mayor is making global headlines with inflammatory claims about arresting a foreign head of state. But the law - and the facts - tell a very different story.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has a talent for saying things that travel far and fast. His latest statement - that he would consider arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the latter visit New York for the United Nations General Assembly - has dominated international headlines, provoked outrage in Washington and Tel Aviv, and earned him considerable applause in certain corners of the internet.

It has also earned him something else: the uncomfortable scrutiny of whether he is a serious executive of the world's most consequent...