Zohran Mamdani made a bold promise: if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to New York, he would arrest him. However, the mayor has now had to admit that he lacks the legal authority to do so. New York cannot independently execute an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, as the United States is not a member of that court. Additionally, American laws, questions of immunity, and the special protections afforded to foreign government representatives traveling to the UN complicate the matter further.

Mamdani has only withdrawn his promise of arrest, but politically, he has gone further. He asserts that Netanyahu is a „war criminal” and is not welcome in New York.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman mockingly remarked, „You’re the mayor, man.” He described Mamdani as a „clown” preoccupied with matters that are well outside his jurisdiction. At the same time, Fetterman accused him of remaining silent about Hamas terrorists and Iranian mullahs.

However, Netanyahu is merely the current excuse, according to experts who believe Mamdani is attempting to position himself as a progressive socialist in his role as mayor of New York. He advocates for the rights of homosexuals and transgender individuals, promises equal rights and religious freedom, and pledges to combat discrimination while maintaining close ties with radical Islamic preachers and activists.

He praised an imam as one of America’s most significant Muslim leaders, despite that individual having labeled homosexuality a social disease. In a rap song, he expressed his „love” for five men who were convicted for financially supporting the Hamas terrorist organization. He once even questioned whether the FBI contributed to the radicalization of Anwar al-Awlaki, a later Al-Qaeda ideologue.

All of this raises a fundamental question: why does Mamdani show so little restraint towards those actors and interpretations that reject Israel and openly attack homosexuals, liberal societies, and Western institutions? – wrote Exxpress.

Zohran Mamdani Photo: AFP

Praise for an imam

A particularly troubling case involves Imam Siraj Wahhaj. In October 2025, Mamdani visited his Brooklyn mosque and later shared a photo of them together. He described Wahhaj as one of the country’s most prominent Muslim leaders and a cornerstone of his community. Wahhaj has been a controversial figure for decades. In the 1990s, federal prosecutors included him on a list of potential accomplices in the trial against radical preacher Omar Abdel-Rahman, who is considered the mastermind behind the February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. However, Wahhaj was never charged or convicted.

Nonetheless, he has faced criticism for his homophobic and religiously extremist statements, having referred to homosexuality as „a disease of society.” He stated that state laws can never make it acceptable for Muslims. Yet, Mamdani has not distanced himself from him.