- Zohran Mamdani called for the federal government to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu based on International Criminal Court charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
- Mamdani admitted he has no legal authority to direct New York police to arrest Netanyahu.
- The video caused MAGA politicians and the far right to lose their minds.
- Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called Mamdani an evil anti-Semite and said he should be arrested for incitement.
- Senator Tim Scott accused Mamdani of seeking headlines by attacking Netanyahu while ignoring Hamas.
- Representative Mike Lawler criticized Mamdani for not calling for arrest of other leaders like Putin, Xi, or the Ayatollah.
- Representative Randy Fine called Mamdani a 'Muslim terrorist'.
- Mamdani had previously called for Vladimir Putin's arrest, while Iran and China leaders lack ICC arrest warrants.
- The post was symbolic but highlighted conservatives' refusal to acknowledge Palestinian humanity and Israel's actions in Gaza.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has publicly urged the U.S. federal government to execute an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is accused of war crimes in Gaza. Mamdani stated, "I call on the federal government to join the international criminal court and to execute both this warrant as well as any warrant the international criminal court holds," during a press conference.110
The ICC issued the warrant in November 2024, accusing Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant of crimes against humanity, including 'starvation as a method of warfare, and … murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.' Mamdani emphasized that while New York City lacks the authority to arrest Netanyahu, the federal government does.
His remarks have ignited a backlash from conservative figures, including former President Donald Trump, who declared that "Netanyahu will not be arrested" on U.S. soil, asserting that the real criminals are those who have led Iran into conflict.
Critics of Mamdani, such as U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, labeled him an 'evil anti-Semite' for his comments, while others like Senator Tim Scott accused him of hypocrisy for not calling for the arrest of other world leaders.56
Despite the controversy, Mamdani's statements reflect a growing demand for accountability regarding the actions of Israeli leadership in the ongoing conflict.
“These people, along with President Trump, are blocking any sort of accountability for the destruction of Gaza and the murder of tens of thousands of innocent people,” Mamdani stated, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in the region.
“U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called Mamdani an 'evil anti-Semite' and said he should be arrested for incitement, while Senator Tim Scott accused him of seeking headlines by attacking Netanyahu without confronting Hamas. Neither the US nor Israel are ICC members, and Trump has stated Netanyahu 'will not be arrested' on US soil.”
The Guardian
The New Republic
