Nearly half of Americans would have the US put Netanyahu in handcuffs, poll says

68% of Democrats, compared to 24% of Republicans, back PM’s arrest for war crimes during visit to US, while 47% of respondents believe he has damaged bilateral relations

Nearly half of Americans believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested on war crimes charges while he is in the United States, a new poll found.

Asked about the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in Gaza, 49 percent of respondents to an Economist/YouGov survey said the Israeli premier should be arrested. Another 27% said he should not be arrested and 23% are unsure.

Similar figures were shown across the board when respondents were asked whether they thought Netanyahu was guilty of war crimes during the war in Gaza, which was sparked by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught.

Netanyahu visited the US this week to meet with President Donald Trump. But the debate over whether he should be arrested has centered on the premier’s upcoming visit to New York City in September for the UN General Assembly. The city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is a harsh critic of Israel and long pledged to arrest Netanyahu if he set foot in the city.

But in a recent video announcement, Mamdani acknowledged that the New York Police Department lacks the authority to do so, though the mayor branded Netanyahu a “war criminal” and said he is “not welcome” in the city, drawing outcry from a series of prominent Jewish leaders.

Netanyahu has repeatedly criticized Mamdani’s rhetoric and vowed to come to New York. On Tuesday, in a Fox News interview, he called the mayor “hate-spewing” and said, “He’s turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what are we in, the 1930s?”

The US is not a member of the ICC, and the Trump administration has flatly rejected the ICC case against Israel and has sanctioned the Hague officials involved. Israel staunchly denies the war crimes allegations.

However, the poll still offers a barometer on how Americans view Netanyahu, whose approval ratings in the US have plummeted in recent years.

Among Democrats, 68% said they backed arresting Netanyahu, compared to 24% of Republicans and 55% of independents who said the same

Furthermore, 47% of Americans think Netanyahu’s behavior has damaged bilateral relations, including 61% of Democrats and 30% of Republicans, according to the poll.

Surveys have repeatedly found that Democrats have become more critical of Israel. Several outspoken anti-Israel candidates have recently won Democratic primaries ahead of the November midterm elections in the US.

A Pew Research Center Poll published in April found that 60% of Americans had an unfavorable view of Israel. Its standing was worse among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 80% of whom had negative views about Israel. Majorities of both parties under 50 had an unfavorable view of Israel, the poll found.

The same poll found nearly 60% of Americans do not have confidence in Netanyahu “to do the right thing regarding world affairs.”

Even among US Jews, an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released earlier this month showed that Mamdani has 44% favorability, compared with 32% for Netanyahu.

JTA contributed to this report.