Mamdani Can’t Arrest Netanyahu. But He Can Still Hold Israel Accountable.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "genocidal war criminal" unwelcome in New York City, acknowledging he lacks the authority to arrest him. This statement, which garnered significant online attention, highlights a shift in US political discourse regarding Israel. While unable to directly arrest Netanyahu, Mamdani can take concrete steps to address New York City's ties with Israel. These include:

• Actively pursuing divestment of city pension funds from Israeli assets and companies implicated in occupation and human rights abuses.
• Ordering a public audit of New York City contracts and relationships with Israeli military and security firms, and ending those that support Israeli occupation.
• Demanding investigations into New York-based non-profits that finance Israeli settlement projects for potential legal violations.
• Ensuring that any future visit by Netanyahu to New York City is not met with a red-carpet welcome and that protesters' rights are protected.

These actions, while less theatrical than an arrest, aim to hold Israel accountable and challenge the perception that its actions are solely attributable to one individual.