Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon rejected threats by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding a potential arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying such warnings will not prevent Netanyahu from speaking at the U.N. General Assembly's annual General Debate in September.
Danon criticized Mamdani's approach, stating: "Zohran Mamdani has failed at managing New York, and instead of fulfilling his role as mayor and fighting the rising wave of antisemitism in his city, he chooses to engage in incitement and generate headlines through attacks against the State of Israel." He added that Netanyahu will "stand before the world to clearly proclaim Israel's truth and its uncompromising right to defend its citizens," And concluded: "And if someone needs to be stopped - it's Mayor Zohran Mamdani."
In a separate interview with The New York Times, Mamdani reiterated he was considering whether to arrest Netanyahu if he enters New York City. Mamdani said he believes Netanyahu "belongs in the Hague," Referencing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued following the war against Hamas in Gaza. "He's a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many, purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years," Mamdani said.
The mayor acknowledged uncertainty about his legal authority to detain a foreign leader but said he is in "an active conversation" With the city's Law Department. "Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do, but we won't be writing our own laws to that end," He said.