NEW YORK (VINnews) – The Simon Wiesenthal Center sharply criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the mayor posted a video message Tuesday calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and urging his arrest if he visits New York City, accusing him of using his office to inflame anti-Israel sentiment and deepen concerns among Jewish New Yorkers.

In a statement issued later Tuesday, the Jewish human rights organization said Mamdani improperly used the authority of the mayor’s office to declare Netanyahu, Israel’s democratically elected leader, a “war criminal” who is “not welcome in New York City.”

The group argued that although Mamdani acknowledged New York City lacks legal authority to enforce an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Netanyahu, he nevertheless turned the issue into a political spectacle.

Mayor Mamdani did not simply express a personal political opinion. He used the authority, symbolism, and credibility of the mayor’s office to issue what amounted to an official public address declaring that the democratically elected leader of the world’s only Jewish state is a…

— Simon Wiesenthal Center (@simonwiesenthal) July 22, 2026

The Wiesenthal Center also criticized the mayor for not mentioning Hamas or the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel during his remarks, saying the omission failed to acknowledge the events that triggered the war in Gaza.

The organization said Mamdani has repeatedly singled out Israel and warned that such rhetoric comes at a time of heightened concerns over antisemitism and harassment targeting Jewish communities in New York.

The statement further argued that New Yorkers elected Mamdani to focus on city issues, including public safety and combating hate, rather than foreign policy.

“New Yorkers elected a mayor, not a prosecutor of foreign leaders,” the organization said, urging Mamdani to focus on protecting the city’s residents instead of criticizing Israel from City Hall.

Mamdani has defended his criticism of Netanyahu by citing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant and has said he believes public officials have a responsibility to speak out on human rights issues.