Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), chair of the House Republican Leadership, is seeking to block threats by Zohran Mamdani, a New York state representative and the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the premier come to the city.
Stefanik, a potential 2026 Republican candidate for New York governor, introduced legislation on Tuesday to prevent Mamdani from enforcing the International Criminal Court warrant against Netanyahu. (The court is an independent body in The Hague.)
Washington is not a party to the court, and Stefanik said her bill would “protect American sovereignty and prohibit radicals like Mamdani from illegally arresting the leader of our democratic ally Israel.”
The legislation would prevent state and local law enforcement officers from carrying out the warrant and arresting Netanyahu on a visit to New York City, where the United Nations is headquartered.
Mamdani has come under fire from the U.S. Jewish community after he declined to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” as antisemitic attacks spiked in the months following the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Jewish groups say that the phrase calls for violence against Jews.
While the state lawmaker has since said he would not use the phrase, he has endorsed the movement to boycott Israel. He also accuses the Jewish state of committing “genocide” in Gaza.
In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 75% of likely Jewish voters viewed Mamdani unfavorably and supported Mayor Eric Adams over Mamdani, 42% to 21%.
