When most people think of mayoral campaign promises, they picture fixing potholes, improving schools, or reducing crime. But Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialist nominee for New York City mayor, is vowing to have the NYPD arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he dare show his face in the Big Apple.
This isn’t your typical political grandstanding. Mamdani wants to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant targeting Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, stemming from the ongoing war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. The socialist firebrand claims that Netanyahu is committing genocide and insists New York must “stand up for international law,” where the federal government supposedly hasn’t.
The practical implications are staggering. If Mamdani were serious about this crusade, Netanyahu couldn’t address the United Nations while Mamdani was mayor. The leader of one of America’s closest allies would be effectively banned from speaking at the UN headquarters because New York’s mayor decided to play international prosecutor.
There’s just one tiny problem with this plan: it’s completely bonkers from a legal standpoint.
The United States isn’t even a member of the ICC and doesn’t recognize its authority. Legal experts are having a field day pointing out that arresting Netanyahu would be practically impossible and could violate federal law. Matthew Waxman, a Columbia Law School professor, called this “more a political stunt than a serious law-enforcement policy.” He’s right: This isn’t even close to being legally feasible.
Recommended: FBI Director Shattered a Conspiracy Theory About Kirk’s Assassin
But Mamdani apparently thinks he’s the next great civil rights pioneer and probably fancies himself the next Obama for the Democratic Party. He’s comparing his hypothetical arrest warrant theatrics to Gavin Newsom issuing same-sex marriage licenses back in the day,
The whole spectacle doesn’t seem to bother Netanyahu. When someone asked him about it at the White House in July, he dismissed the threat with characteristic bluntness: “No, I’m not concerned about that. Look, there’s enough craziness in the world, but I guess it never ends; this is a folly; it’s silly in many ways.” His office declined further comment, probably because dignifying such nonsense with a response would only encourage more of it.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) wasn’t nearly as diplomatic; she called out this “dangerous and absolutely outrageous” promise from what she termed an “Antisemite Communist who is on pace to destroy NYC.” She demanded that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.) condemn Mamdani’s pledge immediately.
Instead, Hochul did the exact opposite. Rather than distance herself from this insanity, she formally endorsed Mamdani in a New York Times opinion piece, gushing about his “Happy Warrior, can-do spirit.” Apparently, threatening to arrest the leader of America’s democratic ally in the Middle East qualifies as the kind of leadership New York needs.
What’s truly concerning isn’t just the legal impossibility of Mamdani’s pledge; it’s what it represents. This is a candidate for mayor of America’s largest city, promising to conduct foreign policy from City Hall and treating international law like a weapon to wield against allies while ignoring the actual authority structures that govern such matters.
New Yorkers deserve leaders who prioritize safe streets, good jobs, and functioning schools, not circus acts designed to appease the radical fringe. This election is no joke. Voters must reject Mamdani’s reckless agenda and demand real solutions, or they risk turning New York into a laughingstock on the world stage.
Zohran Mamdani’s pledge to arrest Israel’s prime minister is more dangerous grandstanding than governance. Now more than ever, we need conservative media to call out this extremism. Join PJ Media VIP with the promo code FIGHT at 60% off for fearless, no-BS coverage. Don’t wait, join today.
