New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks to media on July 7. In a recent social media post, Mr. Mamdani decried Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a 'war criminal.'Angelina Katsanis/The Associated Press
Among the signature promises Zohran Mamdani made while running to become New York’s mayor in 2025 was a pledge to order the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli Prime Minister set foot in his city, as he had in previous years to attend the United Nations General Assembly. It made Mr. Mamdani an instant superstar among progressive Democrats who had grown increasingly hostile to Israel.
Mr. Mamdani’s sensational promise was always more political boilerplate than credible policy, a guaranteed applause line at rallies intended to energize the young pro-Palestinian voters who had flocked to his campaign. Legal experts cast doubt on whether a New York mayor could arrest Mr. Netanyahu, the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant who stands accused of “intentionally” depriving Gazans of food, water and medicine.
Not only is the United States not a member of the ICC, but a 2002 law passed by Congress broadly prohibits U.S. authorities from co-operating with The Hague-based institution. International leaders typically enjoy diplomatic immunity to attend the UN General Assembly. And, critically, law enforcement decisions in the largest U.S. city reside with the New York Police Department, not the occupant of Gracie Mansion.
Alas, Mr. Mamdani finally conceded this week that he does not have “the independent legal authority” to order Mr. Netanyahu’s arrest – but not before calling him a “war criminal” and the “architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people” who is “responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people.” In a video posted on X, the socialist New York Mayor added, with a deadpan look, that “we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing.”
That the Mayor of New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside Israel, could utter such words underscores the dramatic shift in U.S. attitudes since the 2023 Hamas attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and ignited the war in Gaza. Within the Democratic Party, Mr. Mamdani’s radical views on Israel have practically gone mainstream.
Last week, more than 100 Democratic members of the House of Representatives voted for an amendment to a State Department funding bill that would have cut off military and humanitarian aid to Israel. While the amendment failed to pass, more Democrats voted for it than against it, thus rebuking party leaders who had opposed the motion.
Until recently, bipartisan support for Israel had been a given in Washington. As the only democracy and unconditional U.S. ally in the Middle East, Israel’s military strength has long been seen as critical to U.S. security interests in a region in which the Jewish state’s existence is threatened by hostile neighbours. Hence, official U.S. policy has sought to ensure that Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge” over its enemies.
To this end, former Democratic president Barack Obama committed to providing a minimum of US$38-billion in military aid to Israel over 10 years under a 2016 memorandum of understanding. Former Democratic president Joe Biden authorized billions of dollars in additional military assistance to Israel as it sought to destroy Hamas in the aftermath of the 2023 attacks.
Mamdani urges federal government to arrest Netanyahu, says New York doesn’t have authority
Since then, however, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has come to apply a new litmus test on candidates for elected office. Articulating support for Israel is a deal-breaker. They vow to support only those who call themselves anti-Zionists, a label that suggests opposition to the very existence of a Jewish state in the Middle East, ignoring the centuries of persecution that preceded the 1948 creation of Israel.
“I don’t believe in ethno-states, and I certainly don’t believe that our country is responsible to sustain ethno-states,” Abdul El-Sayed, the front-runner to become the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, recently told The New York Times. At rallies, Mr. El-Sayed’s applause lines include “I don’t pay my taxes thinking, man, I can’t wait for Israel to get another tank.”
Many of the 103 House Democrats who voted to eliminate U.S. aid to Israel admitted they did not actually support the measure but rather sought to send a message to Mr. Netanyahu that the days of unconditional aid for the Jewish state are over. The truth is, most incumbent Democrats are terrified of facing primary challenges in 2028 from more progressive rivals who have no qualms about upending the status quo, no matter the consequences.
The rise of the pro-Palestinian wing within the Democratic Party risks dooming the chances that a Jewish candidate – such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker or former Chicago mayor and Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel – could secure the party’s 2028 presidential nomination.
At least not as long as Mr. Mamdani is setting the tone for the rest of the party.