New Israeli deputy consul general shares excitement and security concerns in New York

Eyal David, 40, began his tenure as Israel's deputy consul general in New York three weeks ago, still unpacking boxes while attending to a rapidly filling schedule ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's United Nations General Assembly speech. He described ongoing security coordination with the New York City Police Department and expressed concern over Mayor Zohran Mamdani's recent anti-Israel comments, which he said could incite street danger.

David, a career diplomat with prior assignments in Nairobi and Morocco, emphasized the consulate’s importance as a bridge to the vibrant Jewish world and to U.S. lawmakers in states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware. He noted that the consul general, Ofir Akunis, is a political appointee while he, as the professional deputy, serves regardless of the Israeli government’s political orientation. David also shared personal anecdotes about his time in Africa, his language skills, and his hopes to balance work with enjoying New York’s cultural life and possibly meeting a future spouse.