US President Donald Trump said Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not face arrest during any visit to the United States, after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was still examining whether such a move could be legally pursued, according to Reuters.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a social media post, without directly referring to Mamdani’s remarks.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes during the Gaza war, accusations Israel rejects while denying the court’s jurisdiction.
Trump did not mention Mamdani in his post but praised Israel’s role in the Iran war. Mamdani said in an interview aired on Saturday that New York City’s legal department was actively reviewing what options might be available under the law.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani said during a New York Times video podcast titled “The Interview”.
Netanyahu has traditionally travelled to New York every September for the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting, where world leaders gather.
Israel responded to Mamdani’s comments on Sunday in a post on X, describing the ICC as a “kangaroo court” and calling the arrest warrant against Netanyahu “bogus”.
“Mamdani appears interested in diverting public attention from his follies and attacking the leader of the Jewish state and the only democracy in the Middle East,” the post said.
Established in 2002, the ICC has international jurisdiction to prosecute cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The United States and Israel are not members of the court.
Mamdani, who took office in January, had said during his mayoral campaign that he would instruct police to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister entered New York City.
Last November, shortly after Mamdani won the mayoral election, he and Trump held an unexpectedly cordial meeting at the White House despite previously exchanging sharp criticism.
