Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has called on President Donald Trump to uphold international law and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the United States. Khanna stated that allowing individuals with international arrest warrants to travel freely within US jurisdiction undermines global order and human rights.
Khanna's remarks came in response to comments made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who had expressed a desire to see Netanyahu arrested. While Mamdani acknowledged he lacked the authority to issue such an arrest, Khanna expanded on the legal and moral imperative.
"The American president should arrest Netanyahu or Putin in accordance with international law. Full stop. America needs to cooperate with the [International Criminal Court]," Khanna said during an interview. "It’s a matter of human rights, and it’s a matter of a rules-based international order."
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 for alleged war crimes related to the abduction of children from Ukraine. In 2024, the ICC issued a warrant for Netanyahu in connection with the war in Gaza, citing alleged crimes against humanity.
Israel's military operations in Gaza have drawn significant criticism. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that over 73,000 people have died since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Human rights organizations and scholars have decried the operations, with some labeling them as genocide.
Khanna acknowledged that Trump is not typically seen as a proponent of international law or human rights but stressed the importance of the United States adhering to its international obligations. "It’s embarrassing to the United States and to the world community," Khanna stated. "If the ICC has an arrest warrant for someone, they should be arrested by America if they come into American jurisdiction. It’s simple international law."
Discussion arose about Netanyahu's potential visit to New York City for the UN General Assembly in the fall. Khanna suggested that such a visit would present an opportunity for accountability, particularly as Netanyahu continues military actions in Lebanon despite reported calls from Trump to cease operations to facilitate an end to the war. "You can’t just kill women and children, have an ICC arrest warrant, and then walk into the United States of America and think nothing is going to happen to you," Khanna asserted. "If you come to our jurisdiction, America is a country that’s going to enforce international law."