Tactically Right, Morally Clear
The mayor of New York cannot have the Israeli prime minister arrested. All the more reason, then, for the U.S. left to fight for international law.
If Benjamin Netanyahu visits New York City in September, the city won’t be able to have the Israeli prime minister arrested, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said after a lengthy legal review.
Some on the left might start entertaining a thought: If conservative parties routinely bend the law to target political foes, why shouldn’t the left do the same? Why not arrest an internationally wanted war criminal regardless of jurisdictional constraints? Essentially, this would be a direct act of law-breaking aimed at enforcing a higher law.
That, it seems, is what some people on the left have in mind — the ones now reproaching Mamdani for his U-turn. They point to a campaign pledge he made. Asked whether he would have Netanyahu arrested when he became mayor despite the fact that the U.S. has not ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Mamdani bluntly replied “yes.”
Mamdani is right to abide by U.S. law now. For tactical reasons alone, it would be a mistake to have the New York Police Department go after Netanyahu in September. That would put the mayor in open conflict with Donald Trump and the federal government, which would jeopardize his ability to implement his policies in New York City. More broadly, it’s important that Mamdani not only condemns Israel’s crimes with moral clarity but also turns that into a commitment to international law.
Leftist critics are right to point out that this law is applied selectively. Still, international law offers a common language and a basic civilizational consensus that progressives cannot abandon.
Mamdani and the democratic socialists are gaining significant influence among Democrats. Their minimum demand should be to steer the party and the U.S. toward international law — for instance, by recognizing the ICC.
If Benjamin Netanyahu visits New York City in September, the city won’t be able to have the Israeli prime minister arrested, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said after a lengthy legal review.
Some on the left might start entertaining a thought: If conservative parties routinely bend the law to target political foes, why shouldn’t the left do the same? Why not arrest an internationally wanted war criminal regardless of jurisdictional constraints? Essentially, this would be a direct act of law-breaking aimed at enforcing a higher law.
That, it seems, is what some people on the left have in mind — the ones now reproaching Mamdani for his U-turn. They point to a campaign pledge he made. Asked whether he would have Netanyahu arrested when he became mayor despite the fact that the U.S. has not ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Mamdani bluntly replied “yes.”
Mamdani is right to abide by U.S. law now. For tactical reasons alone, it would be a mistake to have the New York Police Department go after Netanyahu in September. That would put the mayor in open conflict with Donald Trump and the federal government, which would jeopardize his ability to implement his policies in New York City. More broadly, it’s important that Mamdani not only condemns Israel’s crimes with moral clarity but also turns that into a commitment to international law.
Leftist critics are right to point out that this law is applied selectively. Still, international law offers a common language and a basic civilizational consensus that progressives cannot abandon.
Mamdani and the democratic socialists are gaining significant influence among Democrats. Their minimum demand should be to steer the party and the U.S. toward international law — for instance, by recognizing the ICC.
Previous article![]( "Trump Instigates the Next Tariff War — Just as Absurd as Before")