New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism over his limited public response to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, amid his repeated calls for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to face arrest as a "war criminal".
Mamdani has previously described Iran’s government as "brutal" and pointed to its "systematic repression of its own people." Critics, however, questioned why he has not used similarly forceful language toward Pezeshkian, who arrived in New York on Wednesday.
Iranian-born journalist Masih Alinejad, who was the target of an alleged assassination attempt near her Brooklyn home, directly challenged Mamdani over the issue.
"Mayor Mamdani, you said war criminals who set foot in New York should be arrested. Good news. One is in New York city this week," she said. "If you have the courage to talk about arresting those responsible for crimes against humanity, start with the man sleeping five miles from your office," Alinejad wrote on social media.
Alinejad also invited the mayor to examine FBI files concerning the case, in which several men allegedly attempted to kidnap her in Brooklyn.
Director of National Intelligence Walter "Jay" Clayton said in January that the Iranian regime coordinated a murder-for-hire plot targeting Alinejad because of her advocacy against its human rights abuses. One US-based conspirator was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Brigitte Gabriel, founder of ACT For America and a national security commentator, likewise criticized Mamdani over what she described as a disparity in his treatment of Iran and Israel.
"[The] Iranian President on American soil - while we are still in open conflict with Iran. 18 Americans dead. Thousands of Iranians slaughtered. And he’s getting a visa, a hotel, and a UN microphone in New York," Gabriel fumed on social media.
"Where are the war crimes charges? Where’s Mamdani to arrest him while he’s in NYC?"
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR), also pointed to the contrast in Mamdani’s statements.
"Is Zohran Mamdani threatening to arrest butchers from Iran who have killed tens of thousands of their own people, or genuine war criminals from other countries?" Cotton asked, adding, "No. The one person he cites is the leader of the Jewish State of Israel."
Mamdani made Netanyahu’s potential arrest a campaign issue during his run for mayor, pledging to instruct the NYPD to arrest the prime minister if he entered New York and to enforce ICC warrants issued against Netanyahu in 2024. Those warrants allege war crimes committed by Israel during its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.
In a July interview with The New York Times, Mamdani said he was examining possible ways to detain Netanyahu. He later acknowledged in a video that the New York City mayor does not have the legal authority to enforce an ICC arrest warrant and called on the federal government to take action instead.
Mamdani has continued to criticize Netanyahu. In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour earlier this week, he said, “When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, I have described him as I believe him to be a war criminal and an architect of a horrific genocide of the Palestinian people."
He also reiterated his support for enforcing the ICC warrant. “I do believe that that is something that should be honored, because what we want to see, and we’ve been talking about this today, is a faith in our politics, a faith in accountability," he said.
“If the International Criminal Court deems someone worthy of an arrest because of a violation of those laws, then who are we to say that anyone should be above that? And I think very clearly that everyone should be held accountable to it," Mamdani added.
Netanyahu responded Tuesday, accusing Mamdani of supporting Hamas and encouraging hostility toward Jews in New York. “Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani. Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people. Shame on you for inciting riots against New York Jews," Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu added that he would address Mamdani’s comments during his UN appearance Thursday. “I'm coming to the UN. I'm going to tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I'm going to tell the truth about you," he said.