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.

Mamdani’s latest video misses the bigger point. The crimes he describes are not the work of one man alone. They are the product of an entire state apparatus. Netanyahu is its figurehead, not its sole architect. So this cannot begin and end with whether the federal government arrests Netanyahu. As mayor, Mamdani still has a duty to ensure New York City is not facilitating, subsidizing, or legitimizing the institutions carrying out those crimes. I’ve already laid out several concrete actions he can take as mayor, and I’m linking that article below. If Netanyahu is truly “not welcome” here, then neither should the machinery that enables his government’s policies be welcomed, financed, or normalized by this city. The question isn’t just whether Mamdani can arrest Netanyahu. It’s whether he’ll use every power he does have. mondoweiss.net/2026/01/here-…