Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, said Saturday evening that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has no authority to order the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and told Mamdani to focus on managing the city. UN Ambassador Danny Danon separately accused Mamdani of incitement and failing to combat rising antisemitism, stating that if anyone should be arrested, it is Mamdani himself.
In the latest exchange in the escalating dispute between Israeli officials and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, and UN Ambassador Danny Danon issued statements Saturday evening rejecting Mamdani's threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Akunis said at 17:49 Jerusalem that Mamdani has no authority to order such an arrest and should focus on managing the city. Danon, at 17:48, accused Mamdani of incitement and failing to combat rising antisemitism, adding that if anyone should be arrested, it is Mamdani himself. These statements were first reported by N12 and followed a series of similar comments from the diplomats earlier in the day.
Earlier Saturday, at 13:43 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Mamdani told The New York Times he would arrest Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly in September if local law permits, calling him a war criminal. Subsequent reports at the same time showed Mamdani clarifying that he is examining the legal authority with the city's legal department and has not abandoned the plan. The initial claim was unverified, and later versions added detail as Mamdani spoke to multiple outlets.
As The Zioneer has reported over the past weeks, Akunis and Danon have repeatedly criticized Mamdani for what they describe as incitement against Israel and Jews. On June 28, Akunis warned that Mamdani's words would lead to violent acts; on June 24, he accused Mamdani of lying about an al-Jazeera journalist's death; and on July 7, he warned of an immediate danger to Jewish safety. Danon also attacked Mamdani at a Security Council session on June 30, accusing him of adopting the Hamas narrative.
What remains open: Mamdani's threat is conditional on local law, and no legal action has been taken. The diplomatic response continues, and the practical implications of the arrest threat remain unclear, as local law enforcement authorities have not commented.
7 developments
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Source and signal
- Internal intake