US President Donald Trump has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested if he visits the United States, following comments by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that he was examining whether local authorities could detain him during the UN General Assembly in September.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Netanyahu, who has been subject to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since November 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza, would not be detained “in any way, shape, or form” while in the US.
Trump said Netanyahu was “fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran” and argued that those responsible for leading Iran into what he described as an “unprecedented spiral of death and destruction” should be the ones facing arrest.
Mamdani raises possible legal action
Speaking to The New York Times on Saturday, Mamdani said he believed Netanyahu belonged at the ICC headquarters in The Hague.
“He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court,” Mamdani said, adding that many people share that view based on the consequences of Israel’s actions over recent years.
Mamdani, who has described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as genocide, said he was holding discussions with New York City’s legal department over whether he had the authority to instruct police to detain Netanyahu.
“Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do,” he said, adding that his administration would not create new laws to pursue such an action.
US does not recognise ICC jurisdiction
The United States does not recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction and is not a member of the court.
During his mayoral campaign last September, Mamdani pledged that he would seek to arrest Netanyahu if he travelled to New York, saying the city should support international law.
Other Israeli figures, including former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, have also been subject to ICC arrest warrants.
The court has accused Israeli leaders of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including allegations involving starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
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