A new public opinion poll conducted in the US has revealed American views on the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Nearly half of the respondents said that Netanyahu should be taken into custody on US soil in accordance with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision.
In the survey conducted by The Economist and YouGov on July 25-27 among 1,559 Americans over the age of 18, 49% of participants answered "yes" and 27% answered "no" to the question: "The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Should Netanyahu be arrested in the US?" The undecided ratio was recorded as 23%.
The survey also asked: "Do you view Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal due to the events in Gaza?" To this question, 47% said "yes" and 24% said "no". The rate of those who said they were undecided on this issue was 29%.
Another notable finding in the poll concerned the events in Palestine. While 43% of participants characterized the events as genocide, 24% disagreed with this view. The undecided ratio reached 32%.
ICC's Arrest Warrant
On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Statement by New York Mayor
Zohran Mamdani, who is identified as the Mayor of New York, stated on July 18 that if Netanyahu comes to New York in September for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, city authorities will act within the powers granted by New York laws but will not pass a separate law for this purpose.
Mamdani said, "I think Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He is a war criminal indicted by the International Criminal Court."
Reaction from Netanyahu
Netanyahu, in response to Mamdani's remarks, accused him of "attacking the leader of the Jewish state, the only democracy in the Middle East." The Israeli Prime Minister also claimed that the ICC has no jurisdiction over US and Israeli citizens.
