US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be subject to arrest during any visit to the United States. This statement came in response to remarks made by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani concerning the possible enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump emphasized that Netanyahu would not face arrest “in any way, shape, or form” while in the country. Although he did not mention Mayor Mamdani by name, Trump acknowledged Israel’s role in supporting efforts against Iran.
These developments follow comments from Mayor Mamdani, who took office in January. In a recent interview aired on Saturday, Mamdani revealed that New York City’s legal team was actively reviewing the scope of local laws to determine potential actions. During his mayoral campaign, he pledged that city police would detain Netanyahu if he entered New York.
Speaking on a New York Times video podcast, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a war criminal wanted by the ICC and asserted that he belongs in The Hague. Netanyahu traditionally visits New York each September to attend the United Nations General Assembly, where world leaders gather annually.
In response to Mamdani’s statements, Israel issued a social media post on platform X on Sunday, dismissing the ICC as a “kangaroo court” and labeling the arrest warrant as illegitimate. The post also suggested that the mayor was attempting to distract from his own political challenges by targeting Israel’s leadership.
The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In 2024, the Hague-based tribunal issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. Both Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC; Israel rejects the court’s jurisdiction and denies any war crimes allegations.
Notably, Mamdani and Trump previously met amicably at the White House last November after the mayoral election, despite having exchanged public criticisms beforehand.
