In a heated exchange, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, harshly criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday, labeling him a “clown” following Mamdani’s call for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu upon his arrival in the city.
The confrontation arose after Mamdani publicly accused Netanyahu of acting as a “war criminal” and orchestrating what he described as a “horrific genocide” against Palestinians. He urged federal authorities to act on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister. For more details on Ambassador Danon’s role, visit Danny Danon’s official profile.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is on the agenda to deliver an address at the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan this September.
During a United Nations emergency security council meeting on Lebanon held on March 31 at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon made it clear he would not tolerate the baseless allegations against his nation’s leader. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
“These outrageous statements about obstructing the Prime Minister’s visit are nothing more than a farce,” Danon expressed to News Media on Wednesday, underscoring his disdain by calling Mamdani’s efforts a joke and referring to him as a clown.
“Everyone knows it’s a show. It’s a stunt,” Danon added. “A mayor should be dealing with the homeless people, the garbage in New York, and leave foreign affairs to the people in Washington who are elected to do it. He should take care of the security of the people in New York, especially the Jewish community, which is seeing the rise of antisemitism. That is his first responsibility.”
The YouTube channel for the New York City Mayor’s Office released a video July 21, “Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.”
“Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people,” Mamdani said, repeating comments he made in an interview with The New York Times.
Mamdani leveled a series of allegations against the Israeli leader, claiming he was “responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia.”
He also accused Netanyahu of targeting neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers and alleged that he blocked food and humanitarian aid.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to reporters during a news conference in New York on Feb. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“Just last month, the U.N. confirmed that Palestinian children continue to be deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli armed forces, more than eight months after the so-called ceasefire,” Mamdani said.
“All as we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing. There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.”
Danon pushed back sharply against the mayor’s accusations.
“There is a lot of humanitarian aid coming into Gaza every day,” Danon argued.
“Nobody speaks about those issues anymore, but he wants to resume spreading blood libels, promoting the claims of genocide, starvation and all those lies that were spread by him, by his wife and by other people during the war.
“He wants to go back to this situation, but today there are no humanitarian issues in Gaza,” Danon added.
“Mamdani continues to promote those blood libels against Israel and against the Jews.”
Mamdani also said that City Hall cannot act on the warrant unilaterally.
“It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant. The federal government, however, does, and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant,” Mamdani said.
“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his administration is exploring whether the city has legal authority to arrest Netanyahu, pictured here, if he visits for the U.N. General Assembly. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli officials strongly deny all charges. Netanyahu’s office has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, labeling it “a kangaroo court that has no jurisdiction over Americans or Israelis.”
“People are smart; they know there’s no legal basis for his remarks,” Danon said. “The U.S. is not part of the ICC. There is no warrant that is actually effective against the prime minister in the U.S. So it’s a political stunt.”
“We have serious issues to deal with — the war with Iran and other critical matters.
“The prime minister is not actually dealing with Mamdani’s remarks at all. He said it very clearly: He intends to come and speak at the U.N.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu will come to New York and will speak in the General Assembly,” Danon said. “The only thing the mayor can do is come to the U.N., grab a seat, listen to the Prime Minister and maybe learn something from his speech.
“Last year, Mayor Adams came to the prime minister’s speech,” Danon noted. “A local leader can come and hear. That’s the only thing he can do.”