I give socialist Zohran Mamdani credit for going on Fox News for a sit-down interview with Martha MacCallum.
But that’s where it ends.
Mamdani has an anti-Israel past, and he didn’t help himself with MacCallum.
MacCallum gave him numerous times to come out against Hamas, and he refused. He also said he would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he set foot in New York City due to the international arrest warrant.
I’m glad NewsBusters’ Curtis Houck transcribed it so I don’t have to:
Martha MacCallum: “So, you have denounced Israel and the United States for the response to the slaughter on October the 7th. In fact, at times you’ve called it a lasting stain. The response. At times, you have left October 7 out of your statements completely around this issue. Right now, you just talked about Israelis killing Palestinians but Hamas is killing Palestinians within Haza. And they have not returned the bodies that they promised to return including two Americans, Itay Chen and Omer Neutra whose families that we have interviewed over these months. So, what is your response to what Hamas is doing now?”Zohran Mamdani: “I think those are bodies and remains that should absolutely be returned and I think that I have no issue with critiquing Hamas or the Israeli government because my critiques all come from a place of universal human rights. My focus however is right here in New York City and transforming the most expensive city in America into one that is affordable for each and every New Yorker.”MacCallum: “Okay, I want to get to that absolutely, but do you believe that Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave the leadership in Gaza?”Mamdani: “I believe any future here New York City is one that we have to make sure is affordable for all and, as it pertains to Israel and Palestine, that we have to ensure that there is peace and that is the future we have to fight for.”MacCallum: “But you won’t say that Hamas should lay down their arms and give up leadership in Gaza?”Mamdani: “I don’t have the opinions about the future of Hamas and Israel beyond the question of justice and safety and the fact that anything has to abide by international law and that applies to Hamas, that applies to the Israeli military, plus to anyone you could ask me about.”MacCallum: “Okay. One last thought on that. You would said that you would arrest Netanyahu if he came to the United States. You’ve been very outspoken in your criticism of him. Do you stand by that? You would arrest him if he came here if he were mayor?”Mamdani: “I’ve said that this is a city that believes in international law and this is a city that wants to uplift and uphold those beliefs. The Prime Minister —”MacCallum: “The United States doesn’t stand by the International Criminal Court.”Mamdani: “— it hasn’t signed the treaty for the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court, however, it has issued a warrant for the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu as it has —”MacCallum: “Well, what grounds in the United States could you arrest him on?”Mamdani: “— as it has for Vladimir Putin Putin. I have said that I believe we should uphold arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court and that we should do so only in abiding with all of the laws in front of us. I’m not going to make a new law to ensure that we can actually do this.”MacCallum: “Would Commissioner Tish allow you to arrest Netanyahu in New York City?”Mamdani: “I have appreciated Commissioner Tisch’s leadership of the NYPD and I think she has done a good job of lowering crime across the city.”MacCallum: “But if she — do you think she would — she would be — go along with the arresting of Netanyahu in New York?”Mamdani: “I can tell you that I’m going to exhaust every legal operation in front of me, not to make new laws to do so.”
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