Mamdani’s threat to arrest Netanyahu spotlights deepening Democratic divisions

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signals a new line in the sand for the Democratic Party and its relationship to Israel.

Mamdani’s comments to The New York Times that he is having “an active conversation” over whether an arrest warrant for Netanyahu can be executed reflect a shift inside his party, in which a growing number of Democratic lawmakers are entirely opposed to U.S. military support for Israel, largely because of its brutal campaign inside Gaza. 

“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani told “The Interview,” a Times podcast, in an episode published Saturday.  

“What you will find is, that is an opinion that is held by many,” he added.

Some Democrats say Mamdani is right: “He’s representing a majority perspective that is growing and he is a highly credible and trusted messenger,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who added that the mayor has been consistent with his message about the abuses and violations of international law by Netanyahu and his government since before he ran for mayor.

But some Democrats — even those who don’t support Netanyahu’s actions — maintain that while those views are popular within parts of the base, it won’t get them very far with the broader electorate. They argue Democrats are in danger of alienating swing voters on the issue, underscoring one of the biggest tension points within the party. 

“I don’t think any of this is helpful to our party,” said Democratic strategist Steve Schale. “I think this entire dialogue is unhelpful to our party. To win a general election in November, we’re going to need voters who span the spectrum on that issue.”  

“I’m not going to be out here defending how Netanyahu has governed his country. But what’s the line here? What’s next? Is it the next president you don’t like?” Schale added.

Another Democratic strategist said Mamdani should stay in his lane.

“This is why we keep losing. Why is the mayor of New York getting involved in foreign policy? The issue for Democrats should be one thing and one thing only: the economy,” the strategist said.

Mamdani’s statements came after more than half of House Democrats voted to block U.S. military financing and assistance to Israel on July 15 — 103 Democrats voted in favor of an amendment sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to cut off all military assistance to Israel. Ten Democrats voted present, and 98 voted against. 

After the vote, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the lone American Palestinian member of Congress, said she was proud of her colleagues “who voted to stop funding Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.” 

The vote drew strange bedfellows between progressives who have long opposed U.S. military ties to Israel and centrist, national security-minded Democrats who have grown increasingly critical of Netanyahu’s leadership. 

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, drew a distinction between his frustrations with Netanyahu and his policies in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria and deep concern over the tactics of the far left protesting Israel across the country. 

He said protesters have vandalized his home, set fire in his driveway, carried out protests disturbing his neighbors in the middle of the night, shut down town halls and physically assaulted a staff member. 

“Those who engage in this type of behavior model a dangerous form of corrosive politics that seeks to intimidate those who disagree with them,” Smith said in a statement explaining his vote in support of cutting funding for Israel.

“I still support Israel. I recognize the threats they face. But I have an obligation to try to get the attention of the Netanyahu government to force them to change their actions.”

In the interview with the Times, Mamdani said, “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.” 

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, President Trump, whose relationship with Netanyahu has gone up and down, said the prime minister would not be arrested when he visits New York for an expected trip in September to attend the United Nations General Assembly. 

“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump wrote.

Even some Democrats voiced a similar position to Trump. 

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who voted in favor of halting U.S. military assistance to Israel, argued against Mamdani “creating a spectacle.” 

Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons said while Mamdani’s comments reflect the hard choices pro-Israel Democrats are facing, he said the mayor’s threats to arrest Netanyahu were “more performative than productive.”

“The U.N. needs to be a place where every national leader can come speak. You don’t make peace deals with people you already agree with,” he said.

Foreign heads of state traveling to the United Nations are usually granted amnesty to attend the General Assembly or visit the headquarters for official business. 

The International Criminal Court issued its arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 on charges of war crimes during Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But he traveled to the U.N. General Assembly in 2024 and 2025. The Biden administration appeared to put no pressure on Netanyahu to cancel his trip, and the Trump administration has a particular animosity toward the court. 

A U.S. official told Reuters in December that the president and his top officials fear the court will pursue prosecutions against them in 2029. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged last week to dismantle the court brick by brick. 

Still, American views of Israel and the Israeli people have fallen in recent years, and the drop is more pronounced among Democrats compared with Republicans, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted May 4-17. 

In 2022, 62 percent of Democrats and those who lean Democrat had a favorable view of the Israeli people. That dropped to 43 percent in 2026. The favorable view of the Israeli government was 35 percent in 2022, and it dropped to 16 percent in 2026.

Among Republicans, 77 percent had a favorable view of the Israeli people in 2022, but it dropped to 65 percent in 2026. Asked about the Israeli government, 51 percent of Republicans had a favorable view in 2026, down from 65 percent in 2022. 

Speaking to The Hill on Monday, Schale said Mamdani should deploy his megaphone on other issues. 

“I’d much rather him talk about affordability,” he said. “He should talk about that all day long. That’s actually helpful.”

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