New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Faces Major Backlash Over Benjamin Netanyahu Arrest Warrant Stance, Warns Dr. Sheila Nazarian

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing intense political scrutiny after declaring that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in the city and addressing the potential enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him. In response, Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a prominent physician and advocate who escaped Iran during the Islamic Revolution, has issued a stark warning about Mamdani’s rhetoric, drawing sharp parallels between his political messaging and the propaganda of the Iranian regime.

According to recent statements, Mayor Mamdani’s administration reviewed every available avenue under applicable law to determine whether New York City could execute an ICC arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu. Mamdani concluded that the city lacks the legal authority to enforce such a warrant, but firmly stated that Netanyahu is “not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.” The mayor also affirmed he would not meet with Netanyahu, labeling him a war criminal.

The mayor’s comments have drawn sharp criticism from elected officials. Representative Nicole Malliotakis, whose family fled communist Cuba, and Representative Mike Lawler have publicly condemned the stance. Lawler explicitly labeled Mamdani a “raging anti-Semitic defender of terror regimes,” noting that the mayor has not called for the arrest of Hamas or condemned the Ayatollah and other enemies of America. Critics also highlighted that Mamdani previously attempted to meet with the ambassador of Iran, a nation officially classified as a terror regime by the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Critics argue Mamdani’s implication that international law supersedes these designations has triggered widespread backlash.

Dr. Sheila Nazarian strongly condemned the mayor’s position during a recent broadcast. She compared Mamdani’s rhetorical style to that of the Ayatollah, noting that he uses “flowery words” and makes promises of free services to win votes. She likened the tactic to a student body president promising “free ice cream Fridays,” emphasizing that offering free things is “never free.”

Nazarian further asserted that Mayor Mamdani is a Shi’ite, the same sect of Islam as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). She argued that when he speaks against Jews and Israel, he acts as a “puppet” advancing the same propaganda as the IRGC.

Addressing the ICC criminal claims against Israel and Netanyahu brought by South Africa, Nazarian alleged that the Iranian government funded the legal effort. She claimed the South African government was in dire financial straits and had not paid its workers in months, and that Iran paid off those debts in exchange for South Africa bringing the allegations against Israel and Netanyahu. “Iran is a thread through all of this,” Nazarian stated.

Highlighting the brutalities of the Iranian regime, Nazarian shared a personal account of a 17-year-old girl jailed in Iran for five years for handing out flyers. Upon her release, the girl was holding the hand of a 3-year-old child, the result of rape while incarcerated. When the family sought help from a dentist in America, they were told the girl had no teeth and no fingernails.

Nazarian noted that this is just one story among thousands, pointing out that just two days ago, the regime publicly hanged a 19-year-old protester who sought nothing more than the basic freedoms enjoyed in democratic nations. Reports also indicate that 40,000 innocent protesters have been killed since the beginning of the year.

Through these statements, Dr. Nazarian and other critics continue to urge vigilance regarding political figures who they argue minimize the threats posed by hostile foreign regimes while leveraging divisive rhetoric on the domestic stage.