Who Drove the Digital Campaign Against Zohran Mamdani After the Netanyahu Arrest Debate?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that he intended to attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York reignited debate over the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

During his mayoral campaign, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, known for his criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights, pledged to respect the ICC warrant if Netanyahu visited the city.

However, on July 22, after a legal review, Mamdani clarified that New York authorities lacked the legal authority to enforce the warrant independently and called on the federal government to take action.

Despite that clarification, his remarks triggered a broad online backlash involving prominent figures from the U.S. right, Israeli and pro-Israel accounts, and thousands of low-follower accounts.

Misbar's team at Al Araby TV analyzed approximately 762,000 social media posts to identify the main participants, dominant narratives, and indicators suggesting coordinated amplification.

Pattern of Engagement

Analysis of content published between July 17 and 23 showed that discussion surrounding Mamdani steadily intensified. The backlash accelerated after The New York Times published an interview in which he reaffirmed his support for respecting the ICC arrest warrant while emphasizing that his administration would comply with local laws.

The interview was followed by a series of public exchanges, including U.S. President Donald Trump's statement that Netanyahu would not be arrested in the United States. Mamdani then clarified on July 22 that New York City lacked the legal authority to enforce the warrant independently.

During the monitoring period, roughly 762,500 posts were published by nearly 384,000 accounts, reflecting the scale of online engagement.

Analysis of participating accounts revealed a strong presence of profiles associated with the American right and the MAGA movement, displaying slogans such as "MAGA," "Patriot," and "America First," alongside U.S. flags and religious imagery. Numerous openly pro-Israel accounts also participated, featuring Israeli flags and slogans such as "Yisrael Chai." While these profile characteristics indicate publicly declared political affiliations, they do not by themselves prove participation in coordinated influence networks.

English accounted for approximately 90% of the monitored content, followed by Spanish (7%), while French and Portuguese each represented roughly 1%. Among accounts with identifiable locations, 81% were based in the United States, while Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Canada each accounted for around 2%, and France and Brazil each represented approximately 1%.

Dominant Narratives

The most frequently repeated words and phrases show that the debate centered on Zohran Mamdani, Benjamin Netanyahu, the possibility of Netanyahu's arrest in New York, the legal limits of the mayor's authority, and Donald Trump, who emerged as one of the central figures in the discussion.

The most prominent narrative questioned Mamdani's authority, arguing that the New York City mayor lacks the legal power to enforce ICC warrants because the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute. Posts portrayed his earlier pledge as political grandstanding rather than a legally enforceable commitment.

Another dominant theme targeted Mamdani's background. Critics highlighted his Ugandan heritage and immigrant identity, using phrases such as "Deport," "Be denaturalized," and "Not get naturalized," shifting the discussion from his political position to questioning his citizenship and belonging.

A third narrative focused on religion and ideology. Numerous posts linked Mamdani's Muslim faith to his political positions, labeling him an "Islamic terrorist," a terrorist sympathizer, or a supporter of Hamas. Others portrayed him as an extremist socialist or communist who threatens the American way of life and private property.

Another recurring claim sought to associate Mamdani with Iran. Some accounts alleged that he maintained contacts with the Iranian government, using phrases including "Islamic Republic of Iran," "Iranian regime," and "Direct communication." Others called for investigations under the Logan Act, despite Mamdani's denial that his administration had sought meetings with Iranian representatives.

A final narrative shifted attention away from Netanyahu by criticizing Mamdani's leadership of New York City. These posts accused him of raising taxes, prices, and rents while attacking his economic proposals, including wealth taxes and publicly owned grocery stores.

Participants in the Campaign

The campaign drew participation from influential conservative and far-right figures, many of whom emphasized Mamdani's identity as a Muslim immigrant of Ugandan origin while calling for his deportation or denaturalization. Among the most prominent were Dr. Maalouf, Benny Johnson, Eric Daugherty, Laura Loomer, Dan Burmawi, and Kosher Cockney.

The criticism also extended to prominent political figures, including President Donald Trump, Senators Tim Scott and Tom Cotton, Representative Randy Fine, and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. Their posts largely focused on the absence of a legal basis for enforcing the ICC warrant while linking Mamdani's comments to his broader record as mayor.

Israeli and pro-Israel voices also played a visible role. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer, and accounts including Vivid, Israel Army, Isaac, Eyal Yaakobi, and Raylan Givens criticized Mamdani by referencing the October 7 attacks, his positions on Israel and Hamas, and accusing him of disregarding Israeli and Jewish security concerns in New York.

Indicators of Suspicious Activity

Beyond measuring engagement, Misbar identified several behavioral patterns associated with the campaign. Approximately 65,000 participating accounts had fewer than 100 followers, suggesting a significant contribution from low-reach profiles. The distribution of account creation dates also showed noticeable spikes during recent months, indicating that clusters of accounts may have been created within relatively short periods.

A review of sample accounts further revealed widespread use of pseudonyms, generic profile images, and limited or nonexistent personal or professional information. Analysis of posting behavior also showed repeated amplification of identical messages by numerous accounts, while some circulated nearly identical versions of statements made by Benjamin Netanyahu about Mamdani.

Misbar's analysis indicates that debate over Zohran Mamdani's position on the ICC arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu evolved into a large-scale online campaign involving political figures, media personalities, pro-Israel accounts, prominent voices from the American right, and substantial participation from newly created and low-follower accounts.

Although these indicators do not conclusively demonstrate a coordinated campaign, they reveal recurring patterns of message amplification and repeated use of similar narratives targeting Mamdani's political positions, personal background, and religious identity, extending well beyond discussion of his legal authority regarding the ICC arrest warrant.

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