Poll: 49% of Americans support arresting Netanyahu in accordance with the International Criminal Court arrest warrant - Sarmad

A new poll shows that nearly half of Americans support the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with his actions during Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.

According to a survey conducted by The Economist in collaboration with YouGov, 49% of respondents said the United States should execute the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu, while 27% opposed it and 23% expressed uncertainty, indicating a sharp division in American public opinion regarding Israel and its war in Gaza.

The poll also revealed that 47% of participants believe Netanyahu is guilty of war crimes in Gaza, while 24% believe the opposite, and 29% remained unsure.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of using starvation as a method of warfare, committing crimes against humanity including killing and persecution, and launching deliberate attacks against civilians in Gaza. Although neither the United States nor Israel is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the Court, the ICC asserts jurisdiction over Palestinian territories, placing Washington in a complex legal and political position regarding the enforcement of the warrant.

In a notable development, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani last week retracted his previous commitment to arrest Netanyahu if he came to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, acknowledging that the legal authority to execute the warrant lies with the federal government, not city authorities, and called on the federal government to join the Court and enforce the warrant.