US President Donald Trump has declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested during any visit to the United States, following remarks by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that legal options were still being considered.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
Trump did not directly mention Mamdani’s comments but praised Israel’s role during the recent conflict with Iran.
The issue stems from an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2024, which accuses Netanyahu of alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict.
Israel has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction and denied all allegations of war crimes, describing the warrant as illegitimate.
In an interview with The New York Times published on Saturday, Mamdani said he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague” and described him as “a war criminal” charged by the ICC.
The New York mayor added that the city’s legal department was examining what action could legally be taken if Netanyahu were to visit the city.
Netanyahu traditionally travels to New York each September to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Responding to Mamdani’s remarks, Israel criticised the ICC as a “kangaroo court” and dismissed the arrest warrant as “bogus”. It also accused the mayor of targeting the leader of the Jewish state for political reasons.
The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the court.
