Anti-Israel socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said it out loud.
Since he cannot arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the mayor encouraged people to protest.
REPORTER: What do you think that these people who are frustrated with Netanyahu should do when he arrives in New York City for the United Nations meeting?MAMDANI: I think one of the bedrocks of our city is protest. It is something that has been a part of what makes our city so special-that New Yorkers can express themselves whether they are in support or in opposition, no matter or whatever time. And I’ve always said that when we respect our Constitution, we also respect our First Amendment. And here in New York City, there will always be a place where you can exercise that.And when it comes to the first question, you know, I have made clear both that I believe that this is an arrest warrant that should be executed, and also that I would follow the laws that we had, and I would be respectful of those laws. And that is why I asked my administration to review all applicable laws.This is a city where, if anyone feels a level of frustration or opposition, protest is something that we will always respect.
I guess Mamdani wanted to make sure that his fellow anti-Israel people understand his message in his Tuesday night video.
In that video, Mamdani admitted that city authorities cannot arrest Netanyahu when he visits for the UN General Assembly.
Mamdani, of course, chose not to mention October 7. He never mentioned why Israel went to war against Hamas in Gaza. He never mentioned the thousands murdered, the hundreds kidnapped, or the hundreds of women raped.
The video drips with antisemitism, but what Mamdani pushes is just as terrifying (emphasis mine):
My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu came here. 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.And I want to be equally clear: Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large. While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become another weapon, and we can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people. That is my commitment to you.
“Every tool.”
Mamdani’s administration cannot do anything. We know President Donald Trump won’t arrest Netanyahu.
It sure sounds like the NYC mayor wants people to swarm the streets when Netanyahu arrives in the city.
Well, an instigator of anti-Israel street protests picked up the signal. Nerdeen Kiswani led the anti-Israel protest at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Hospital in 2024.
Kiswani wrote on X:
Mamdani just spent several minutes detailing Netanyahu’s alleged war crimes before saying he has no authority to arrest him and leaves the matter to the federal government.Fine. Then use every power the mayor does have.Don’t roll out the red carpet for a wanted war criminal. Don’t use the NYPD to insulate him from public outrage. Don’t suppress the New Yorkers who take to the streets demanding accountability.If Netanyahu is truly not welcome in New York City, that principle should be reflected in how the city treats his visit, not just in rhetoric.
This whole “arrest Netanyahu” charade was foreseeable to anyone with even a basic understanding of how politics works.If Mamdani wants to show Netanyahu is truly unwelcome, he should start by looking at what’s actually within his control.For example, why is the heir to the Tisch family serving as NYPD commissioner when Netanyahu has long stayed at the Tisch family’s Loews Regency New York Hotel during visits to New York?If you’re serious about making a wanted war criminal unwelcome, you don’t surround him with the same network of political and institutional comfort he’s always relied on.
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