Israel's Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis, and UN Ambassador Danny Danon responded Saturday evening to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's statement that he would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Akunis said Mamdani has no authority to order the arrest of the Israeli premier and should focus on managing the city. Danon accused Mamdani of incitement and failing to combat rising antisemitism, adding that if anyone should be arrested, it is Mamdani himself. Both statements were reported by N12.
Israeli officials in New York jointly condemned Mayor Zohran Mamdani's threat to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Consul General Ofir Akunis stating the mayor has no legal authority and UN Ambassador Danny Danon calling for Mamdani's own arrest. The statements, reported by N12, came this evening after Mamdani told The New York Times earlier Saturday that he would arrest Netanyahu if local law permits, calling him a 'war criminal'.
The thread began Saturday at 13:43 Jerusalem with initial unverified reports, via ynet, that Mamdani was holding discussions to arrange Netanyahu's arrest. By the same hour, Mamdani clarified he was examining the legal authority with the city's law department, and at 13:43 he also repeated that he had not abandoned the plan. At 15:36 Jerusalem, Mamdani's NYT interview specified the arrest would be conditional on local law. At 17:48 Jerusalem, Danon issued a statement calling for Mamdani's arrest; the latest response from Akunis adds a second official voice, consolidating Israel's rejection of the threat.
As The Zioneer previously reported, this is part of an ongoing series of confrontations between Israeli officials and Mamdani, who has made anti-Israel rhetoric a central theme of his mayoral campaign. Background items from the desk show Akunis has repeatedly warned of incitement leading to violent acts, and Danon has attacked Mamdani at the UN Security Council, accusing him of adopting the Hamas narrative. The exchange also follows a New York Post report that Mamdani's foreign affairs chief planned a meeting with Iran's UN ambassador, blocked by the US.
What remains unclear is whether Mamdani possesses any actual legal authority to arrest a foreign head of government on U.S. soil. The city's legal department is reportedly reviewing the matter, and no formal arrest warrant or court order has been cited.
7 developments
- StrongIsrael's UN envoy Danon calls for NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani's arrest
- DevelopingNYC Mayor Mamdani calls Netanyahu a 'war criminal,' vows to work for his arrest
- StrongIsrael's UN envoy Danon confronts UNRWA critics, labels staff 'terrorists'
- StrongNew York Post: Mamdani's foreign affairs chief planned Iran UN meeting, blocked by US
Source and signal
- Internal intake