Fetterman Denounces NYC Mayor’s Netanyahu Arrest Threat as ‘Clown’ Move

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman harshly criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday for threatening to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he travel to the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Fetterman characterized the mayor’s repeated pledges as baseless bluster from someone lacking the authority to follow through on such threats.

During an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Fetterman dismissed Mamdani’s position, noting that the United States is not party to the International Criminal Court and therefore does not recognize its jurisdiction. He argued that arresting Netanyahu would fall outside the mayor’s legal purview and called on Mamdani to redirect his attention to New York’s actual municipal challenges.

Mamdani has consistently vowed to pursue Netanyahu’s arrest based on an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in November 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel’s military operations against Hamas. In recent comments to The New York Times, the left-leaning mayor labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal” and suggested the city is examining potential legal mechanisms for his arrest.

Netanyahu and the Israeli government have denied the ICC allegations and reject the court’s authority over the matter. The United States’ non-participation in the Rome Statute that established the ICC means American officials do not recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction over U.S. or Israeli figures.

Fetterman has emerged as one of Congress’s most vocal Israel advocates while simultaneously positioning himself as a vocal critic of progressive Democrats he views as anti-Israel. Speaking to Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, he suggested he would reconsider his party affiliation should the Democratic platform embrace anti-Israel positions.