Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner questioned Wednesday whether New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is becoming one of the country’s leading public faces of anti-Jewish sentiment after the mayor reiterated his desire to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a planned visit to New York later this year.
Speaking on The Faulkner Focus, Faulkner asked Republican strategist Luke Ball whether Mamdani was “fast becoming… one of the main faces of Jewish hate in this entire country.”
“I think he is,” Ball responded.
Ball argued that the Democratic Party has an opportunity to take a firm stand against anti-Semitism but has failed to do so. He said Mamdani’s continued comments about wanting to arrest Netanyahu only reinforce concerns about the party’s direction on Israel.
Mamdani has referred to Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and accused him of committing a “genocide” in Gaza. Ball said those remarks are designed to appeal to Mamdani’s political base, despite what he described as the mayor’s lack of legal authority to carry out such an arrest.
According to Ball, public opinion within the Democratic Party has shifted significantly. He pointed to a Gallup poll conducted this year showing that only 33% of Democrats support Israel, representing a 14-point decline from the previous year.
“They are tracking in all the wrong directions,” Ball said, arguing that Mamdani understands he lacks the authority to arrest Netanyahu but also knows he will receive support from his political allies for making such statements.
Ball described the trend as part of what he called a “slow fade” for the Democratic Party.
He argued that the issue has developed over time, pointing to previous comments by Rep. Ilhan Omar that equated Israel with terrorist groups and the United States. Ball also referenced Mamdani’s past use of the phrase “globalize the intifada” and his continued calls to arrest Netanyahu. He further cited Democratic candidates in Colorado who, according to Ball, won primary elections after saying Israel deserved the October attack it suffered.
Ball said these developments demonstrate that Democrats are making no meaningful progress in addressing anti-Semitism and warned that the party risks alienating what he described as “decent” voters through its increasingly anti-Israel rhetoric.
The discussion comes as concerns about anti-Semitic incidents remain in the spotlight. Axios reported in May that physical assaults against Jews last year reached their highest levels since 1979. The outlet also reported that New York City recorded 860 anti-Semitic incidents, the largest concentration anywhere in the country.
Faulkner’s comments followed Mamdani’s recent statement that his administration is reviewing whether it has the legal ability to arrest Netanyahu when the Israeli leader is expected to visit New York in September for the United Nations General Assembly. Mamdani first pledged to pursue Netanyahu’s arrest during his 2025 mayoral campaign.
President Donald Trump rejected the possibility earlier this week, saying Netanyahu would not be arrested “in any way, shape, or form” while visiting the United States.
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig also dismissed Mamdani’s proposal, calling it “utterly ridiculous.” Honig said the New York City mayor has no legal authority to arrest Netanyahu and argued that the idea is not something city officials should be spending time considering.
