Muslim Detroit-area mayor promises to arrest Netanyahu, another Israeli official — on one condition
The Muslim mayor of a Detroit suburb has promised to arrest two high-profile Israeli officials — should they ever make the unlikely decision to visit his city.
In 2021, Dearborn, Michigan, an Arab-majority city of over 100,000 residents, elected its first Muslim mayor: Abdullah Hammoud. Hammoud, a 34-year-old Democrat who previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives, has long been a sharp critic of Israel.
On Thursday, he stretched that criticism into a full-on threat to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, should they ever venture onto Dearborn soil.
“Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within Dearborn city limits,” Hammoud wrote on X. “Others cities should declare the same.”
His post came just after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for the alleged “war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts” in Gaza between October 2023 and at least May 2024.
“This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its [sic] disposal,” the ICC said.
Following these allegations from the ICC, Hammoud claimed in his post that American “city leaders can ensure Netanyahu & other war criminals are not welcome to travel freely across these United States.”
In his post, Hammoud also lamented that “our president may not take action” on the arrest warrants. However, it is unclear whether Hammoud was referring to the outgoing Biden administration, the upcoming second Trump administration, or both.
In 2021, before he was elected mayor, Hammoud called on Biden to demand a ceasefire in the ongoing hostilities in Gaza. Then earlier this month, he contravened other area Muslim leaders and refused to meet with Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2024 election, though he also declined to endorse Kamala Harris.
‘Local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible.’
On Thursday, the ICC announced it had issued the warrants after denying challenges from Israel regarding the institution’s jurisdiction. According to WDIV, the ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute genocide and other war crimes when member countries refuse to or cannot do so themselves.
Neither Israel nor the United States is a member of the ICC.
Blaze News reached out the Dearborn Police Department to clarify whether its officers would follow through and arrest either Netanyahu or Gallant on the off chance they ever pay the city a visit. We did not receive a response.
With such general animosity against Israel in Dearborn, many see Hammoud’s post as just an empty threat.
“Yeah I’m sure he’s coming to Dearborn,” joked James Dickson, a Michigan journalist and the host of the “Enjoyer” podcast.
“Anyone recall when the Michigan Legislature granted mayors in this state police powers?” wrote Chad Livengood, politics editor at the Detroit News.
EJ Kimball, senior policy adviser at the U.S. Israel Education Association, made a similar suggestion, telling Blaze News in a statement:
The United States is not a party to the International Criminal Court, meaning there is no jurisdiction to enforce an ICC arrest warrant within the U.S.
Additionally, local authorities do not have the legal authority to detain a global leader under such circumstances. Regardless, this scenario is implausible, as Prime Minister Netanyahu would not travel to Dearborn or any similar jurisdiction.
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