Washington DC - Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a less-than-definitive answer when asked whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested immediately upon arrival in the US.
In a video shared to X on Tuesday, Meidas Touch reporter Luke Radel asks AOC whether Netanyahu should be arrested if he visits the United Nations in New York this month.
"I mean, the latest development from the [International Criminal Court] is that he's been indicted. He's wanted by the ICC," AOC responds, referring to an arrest warrant issued in November 2024 over accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
"I think that we should be in alignment with the findings of the International Criminal Court. If there is a warrant out, then there is a warrant out."
Radel then presses again about whether Netanyahu should be arrested if he enters the US.
AOC answers, "Well, here's the deal: The United States shamefully is not a signatory onto the ICC. We should be. The United States should be, I believe, a participant in the ICC."
"So when there's the question of what should happen in a philosophical sense, I think war criminals should be held accountable. And then there's the legal grounds, and I'm not a lawyer," she continues.
Netanyahu expected to visit New York as daily atrocities continue
Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York to address the UN General Assembly this month.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated in July that his office lacks the authority to enforce Netanyahu's arrest warrant, but urged the federal government to take action.
"Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against the Palestinian people," Mamdani said in a video address.
"He is responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens of thousands of children."
Israel's assault on Gaza has been deemed a genocide by numerous human rights experts and groups, while its growing violence and annexation attempts in the West Bank have sparked widespread international condemnation.
President Donald Trump said Netanyahu would not face arrest if he attended the UN General Assembly summit in New York. His administration has launched a series of attacks on the ICC, including sanctions against the court's chief judge.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is widely believed to be a potential 2028 presidential contender, has been repeatedly pressed on her policy toward Israel and Palestine as the daily atrocities continue.