Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday blasted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a «clown» for demanding federal authorities arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when Netanyahu arrives in the city.

Danny Danon’s remarks came after Mamdani accused Netanyahu of being a «war criminal» and the «architect of a horrific genocide» against Palestinians while calling on the federal government to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan in September.

NETANYAHU FIRES BACK AT NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S VOW TO ENFORCE ‘BOGUS ARREST WARRANT’

«Those baseless remarks about harassing the prime minister — it’s a joke, and he’s a clown,» Danon told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

«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.

CNN LEGAL ANALYST CALLS OUT ‘UTTERLY RIDICULOUS’ CLAIM BY MAMDANI ABOUT NETANYAHU ARREST

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.»

MAMDANI’S ‘DERANGED’ ISRAEL TAKE RESURFACES AS HE TARGETS NETANYAHU

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.

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«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.»

El presidente de Ucrania, Volodimir Zelensky, mantuvo este miércoles una conversación con los enviados especiales del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff y Jared Kushner, con el objetivo de coordinar esfuerzos para reactivar la vía diplomática hacia un eventual acuerdo de paz. El contacto se produjo un día antes del encuentro previsto entre el secretario de Estado estadounidense, Marco Rubio, y el ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Rusia, Serguéi Lavrov, que tendrá lugar este jueves en Manila, en el marco de la cumbre de la Asociación de Naciones del Sudeste Asiático (ASEAN).

La llamada se produce en un momento en que las negociaciones entre Kiev y Moscú permanecen estancadas y aún no existe una fecha para retomar los contactos directos entre ambas partes, interrumpidos tras el recrudecimiento de la crisis en Medio Oriente por la guerra entre Israel e Irán.

Zelensky informó del diálogo a través de sus redes sociales y calificó la conversación como un paso relevante dentro de los esfuerzos diplomáticos que impulsa Ucrania junto con Washington.

“Acabo de hablar con los representantes del presidente Trump, Steve Witkoff y Jared Kushner. Una buena conversación sobre cómo activar la diplomacia y acercar más la paz”, escribió el mandatario ucraniano.

El presidente agregó que la coordinación entre ambas delegaciones continúa de forma permanente.

“Nuestros equipos mantienen un contacto cercano”, afirmó.

Zelensky insistió en que el objetivo de su gobierno sigue siendo alcanzar un acuerdo que garantice la seguridad del país.

“Necesitamos la paz, una paz digna, que Ucrania lleva mucho tiempo anhelando”, señaló. También agradeció a Witkoff y Kushner por el “esfuerzo personal” que, según indicó, han realizado para impulsar ese proceso, así como al presidente Trump y al pueblo estadounidense por su “apoyo inquebrantable”.

La conversación tuvo lugar pocas horas antes de la reunión que sostendrán Rubio y Lavrov al margen de la cumbre de la ASEAN en la capital filipina. El encuentro será uno de los contactos diplomáticos de mayor nivel entre Washington y Moscú desde que la nueva administración estadounidense intensificó sus gestiones para intentar destrabar el conflicto iniciado con la invasión rusa de Ucrania en febrero de 2022.

Lavrov confirmó el miércoles que participará en la reunión con Rubio y afirmó que el intercambio permitirá abordar directamente las diferencias existentes entre ambos gobiernos.

“En cualquier caso, esta reunión será útil. Es preferible hacer preguntas y obtener respuestas”, declaró el canciller ruso al anunciar el encuentro.

Uno de los asuntos que previsiblemente ocupará buena parte de la conversación será el llamado “espíritu de Anchorage”, una referencia utilizada por Moscú para describir los entendimientos alcanzados durante la reunión celebrada en agosto de 2025 entre Trump y el presidente ruso, Vladimir Putin, en Alaska.

El gobierno ruso sostiene que en ese encuentro Putin aceptó un plan estadounidense de 27 puntos que había sido entregado previamente por Steve Witkoff durante una visita a Moscú. Entre las propuestas figuraba congelar las líneas actuales del frente y mantener bajo control ruso parte de la región del Donbás.

Sin embargo, Washington ha rechazado que aquel encuentro produjera compromisos definitivos. Rubio sostuvo recientemente que nunca existió un acuerdo vinculante y argumentó que, de haber sido así, la guerra habría terminado hace tiempo.

Las declaraciones del secretario de Estado llevaron a Lavrov a reclamar públicamente que Estados Unidos aclarara cuál es su posición sobre los compromisos discutidos durante aquella cumbre.

Mientras se desarrollan esos contactos diplomáticos, Ucrania continúa reforzando la coordinación con Washington en otros ámbitos.

Horas antes de conversar con Witkoff y Kushner, Zelensky informó que se reunió con el embajador estadounidense ante la OTAN, Matthew Whitaker, para revisar distintos proyectos de cooperación bilateral.

Según explicó el mandatario, ambos analizaron la decisión del presidente Trump de autorizar a Ucrania a fabricar misiles Patriot bajo licencia, además del avance de un acuerdo destinado a ampliar la cooperación en materia de drones.

“Nuestros equipos están trabajando actualmente. Esto tiene un gran potencial y esperamos poder cerrarlo pronto”, afirmó Zelensky al referirse a ese proyecto conjunto.

La conversación con los enviados de Trump y la reunión prevista entre Rubio y Lavrov forman parte de una nueva ronda de contactos diplomáticos impulsados por Washington para intentar reactivar las negociaciones entre Ucrania y Rusia, en un contexto marcado por la ausencia de conversaciones directas entre las partes y por la continuidad de los combates en el frente.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have turned to Hunter Biden’s former attorney as federal investigators scrutinize financial and nonprofit matters involving the first partner and a separate federal fraud case has ensnared the governor’s former chief of staff.

The hiring of prominent Washington defense lawyer Abbe Lowell, whose recent clients have included high-profile figures who have clashed with Trump, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former President Joe Biden’s son, comes as Newsom dismisses the scrutiny as a politically motivated «fishing expedition» aimed at one of President Donald Trump’s most visible Democratic opponents. 

In a news conference Tuesday, the California governor confirmed he had obtained Lowell’s counsel.

GAVIN NEWSOM CLAIMS TRUMP ORDERED DOJ PROBE TARGETING HIM AND HIS WIFE

Lowell, a veteran white-collar defense attorney who served as House Democrats’ chief minority counsel during former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, has represented a bipartisan roster of political heavyweights over his decades-long career. 

His past clients include Hunter Biden, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez and John Edwards and an employee of longtime Trump ally Tom Barrack.

More recently, Lowell has represented several prominent figures who say they have been targeted by the Trump administration, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, former Department of Homeland Security official Miles Taylor and whistleblower attorney Mark Zaid. 

Lowell did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions in time for publication.

At least two criminal investigations connected to Newsom’s family and political orbit have been handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, according to CalMatters. Citing a Justice Department source familiar with the matter, the outlet reported that both originated with whistleblowers and people in Sacramento.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE NEWSOM-LINKED CHARITIES REPORTEDLY CAUGHT IN DOJ’S SIGHTS

One inquiry reportedly involves tax-related scrutiny involving Jennifer Siebel Newsom and financial arrangements connected to her nonprofit and filmmaking work. The other centered on former Newsom chief of staff Dana Williamson, who later pleaded guilty in a separate federal fraud case that prosecutors say grew out of an investigation launched during the Biden administration.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom embrace during a campaign event in 2025. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Times reported that nonprofits and a for-profit production company founded by Siebel Newsom are at the center of the federal scrutiny into her charity and business finances. The Justice Department and FBI have not commented publicly on the investigation, according to the Times. The Justice Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions in time for publication.

Among the organizations identified by the Times is the Representation Project, a nonprofit that federal tax records show has paid Siebel Newsom more than $1.9 million in compensation. The nonprofit also awarded roughly $2.2 million in contracts to Girls Club Entertainment, a for-profit production company separately owned by Siebel Newsom.

CRUZ PUSHES BILL TO HOLD TAX-EXEMPT SPONSORS ACCOUNTABLE AS DOJ PROBES SINGHAM NETWORK

The Times also identified the California Partners Project, another nonprofit founded by Siebel Newsom. State disclosures reviewed by the outlet show it has received nearly $5.1 million in «behested payments» reported by the governor since 2020. Behested payments are donations made at an elected official’s request for charitable, legislative or governmental purposes rather than contributions to the official’s political campaign.

Newsom and his wife have maintained that the current Justice Department is weaponizing investigations in retaliation for the pair’s criticism of Trump and his national political profile. However, in an interview last week with MS NOW, Siebel Newsom was asked about the origin of the probes and said she did not know the details.

U.S. President Donald Trump (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Newsom’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether he has been contacted by any federal investigators in relation to these cases or any others. However, Newsom did tell KCRA-3 in California during a news conference Tuesday he believes it is just a matter of time until he does.

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«It’s inevitable, come on,» Newsom said when asked about any contact from federal investigators. «Look at who we’re dealing with.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, which referred all questions to the Justice Department.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.