Israel's former deputy foreign minister has called for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be declared a persona non grata and barred permanently from entering Israel.
Sharren Haskel, who recently stepped down from her position, made the call after Mamdani said he would examine the possibility of arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a planned September visit for the U.N. General Assembly.
Haskel stated that Mamdani's conduct extends beyond legitimate political criticism, asserting that it undermines Israel's security, harms Jewish communities globally, fuels antisemitism, and works to delegitimize Israel internationally.
In a letter to the prime minister and Israel's foreign minister dated July 20, Haskel wrote: "An individual who uses international platforms to call for the arrest of Israel's elected leaders and actively campaigns to delegitimize the Jewish state should not enjoy the privilege of entering Israel." She continued: "We must adopt a policy of zero tolerance toward those who systematically work against the State of Israel and the Jewish people."