Israeli UN ambassador says Mamdani should be arrested instead of Netanyahu

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations called for the arrest of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the United States next week.The Israeli diplomat’s remarks came in response to Mamdani’s desire to arrest Netanyahu when he is in New York City for the high-level engagement week of the U.N. General Assembly.Danny Danon, the permanent representative of Israel to the U.N., slammed the mayor’s anti-Israel rhetoric at a press conference. “I think he already incited by putting the ridiculous claim that he can or he should arrest the prime minister,” Danon told reporters. “If someone should be arrested, it’s Mayor Mamdani for inciting, for actually collaborating with the enemy of the United States. He sends these officials to meet with the Iranian ambassador here at the U.N.”The latter comment was in reference to a meeting that Mamdani’s international affairs commissioner sought to have with Iran’s permanent representative to the U.N. in July amid the U.S. war with the Iranian regime. The meeting was ultimately canceled after the State Department intervened.“I hope that he realizes he has a responsibility,” the Israeli ambassador said of Mamdani, “not to call for people to demonstrate but to take care of the city and to make sure that next week will be a quiet, functioning week for the thousands of people that will come from all around the world to participate in the U.N. high-level week.”On Wednesday, Mamdani disputed the notion that he encouraged anti-Israel protesters to demonstrate outside the U.N. headquarters.“To New Yorkers, I have never encouraged them to protest. What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city,” he said. “We respect that right, and this is a city that is proud of the Constitution, proud of the First Amendment, and will continue to do so.”Mamdani revealed he has no plans to attend any protest next week. Rather, his administration’s attention will be directed toward public safety and traffic control during the weeklong U.N. General Assembly gathering.“My focus is ensuring that our city remains prepared to host representatives from across the world to keep New Yorkers safe,” he said, “and I think also to ensure that we’re able to both address the global conversation that is happening here in our city and the very local concerns that New Yorkers have about traffic and their ability to get from point A to point B over the course of that time period.”Over the summer, Mamdani revealed he wanted the New York Police Department to arrest Netanyahu when he enters the city next week, but he later noted his office lacks the authority to do so. While backing down from his plans, the mayor called on President Donald Trump to execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for alleged war crimes instead.UN INVESTIGATORS CONCLUDE ‘REASONABLE GROUNDS’ TO BELIEVE CERTAIN US STRIKES IN IRAN WERE WAR CRIMESSince taking office in January, Mamdani has expressed his displeasure with Israel and its involvement in the war with Iran, causing his critics to accuse him of stoking antisemitism. Antisemitic hate crimes have risen 8.5% in New York City so far this year compared to last year, according to NYPD data from August.Netanyahu is set to address the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, and Trump is scheduled to speak two days before the Israeli leader.