Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during a press conference on Thursday, suggesting that Mamdani should be arrested instead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits New York for the U.N. General Assembly next week. This came after Mamdani had expressed his wish to see Netanyahu arrested upon entering the city, citing the mayor's anti-Israel stance and a cancelled meeting with Iran’s UN representative in July. Danon accused Mamdani of inciting against Israel and collaborating with its enemies, while Mamdani denied encouraging protests but emphasized New Yorkers' constitutional right to demonstrate peacefully.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Danny Danon, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, called for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's arrest during a press conference on Thursday, days before Benjamin Netanyahu's planned visit to New York City for the UN General Assembly. Danon accused Mamdani of inciting antisemitic rhetoric and collaborating with enemies of the United States after Mamdani expressed his intent to arrest Netanyahu under certain legal conditions when he visits. The controversy arose following a meeting that Mamdani’s international affairs commissioner attempted to arrange with Iran's U.N. ambassador, which was canceled due to intervention from the U.S. State Department. Danon emphasized that it is the mayor's responsibility to ensure a peaceful and functional environment for the upcoming UN week, criticizing Mamdani’s approach as detrimental to achieving this goal.
Written for “Israeli Ambassador Calls For Arrest” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 17312 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-18
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.
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ambassador → call → States
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.
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he → come → Assembly
Danny Danon, the permanent representative of Israel to the U.N., slammed the mayor’s anti-Israel rhetoric at a press conference.
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Danon → slam → conference
“I think he already incited by putting the ridiculous claim that he can or he should arrest the prime minister,” Danon told reporters.
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Danon → think → reporters
“If someone should be arrested, it’s Mayor Mamdani for inciting, for actually collaborating with the enemy of the United States.
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it → arrest → States
He sends these officials to meet with the Iranian ambassador here at the U.N.”
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He → send → 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.
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commissioner → seek → regime
The meeting was ultimately canceled after the State Department intervened.
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Department → cancel → ?
“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.”
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that → hope → week
On Wednesday, Mamdani disputed the notion that he encouraged anti-Israel protesters to demonstrate outside the U.N. headquarters.
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he → dispute → headquarters
“To New Yorkers, I have never encouraged them to protest.
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I → encourage → them
What I have always told them is that they have the right to do so in this city,” he said.
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he → tell → city
“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.”
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that → respect → Amendment
Mamdani revealed he has no plans to attend any protest next week.
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he → reveal → protest
Rather, his administration’s attention will be directed toward public safety and traffic control during the weeklong U.N. General Assembly gathering.
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attention → direct → 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.
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Yorkers → ensure → 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.
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office → reveal → authority
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.
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mayor → back → crimes
Since 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.
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critics → take → 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.
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crimes → rise → 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.
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Trump → set → leader
The Aporia
