Trump says Netanyahu 'will not be arrested' during any US visit after Mamdani weighs detention

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will not be arrested" during any visit to the United States, directly pushing back after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was exploring whether his administration could detain the Israeli leader if he comes to New York for the UN General Assembly.

Trump's statement escalated a dispute that had been building since Mamdani revived his comments about the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Netanyahu.

It also put the president firmly on the opposite side of the mayor's position ahead of Netanyahu's expected September visit.

Trump rejects Benjamin Netanyahu arrest scenario

Writing on Truth Social on Monday, July 20, Trump said, "Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America."

He defended the Israeli Prime Minister by adding that Netanyahu "is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran," which Trump accused of killing "52,000 innocent protestors" and spending decades "killing American Soldiers, and others."

Trump then shifted his criticism toward Iran's leadership, writing, "The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago, by previous Presidents!"

His remarks came after Mamdani said he was reviewing what authority New York City would have if Netanyahu visits for the United Nations General Assembly.

Zohran Mamdani reviews New York's legal options

Speaking on ‘The Interview’ podcast with the New York Times last week, Mamdani said, "I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague," referring to the ICC arrest warrant issued in November 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Mamdani acknowledged he was unsure whether he could direct the New York Police Department to detain a foreign leader but said he was in "an active conversation" with the city's law department.

"Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that's what we will do," he said. "But we won't be writing our own laws to that end."

He later added, "We're not talking about a personal assessment of Benjamin Netanyahu. We're talking about the International Criminal Court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister's arrest."

US officials dismiss ICC-based arrest calls

The United States is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its authority. Earlier this year, Trump imposed economic sanctions on the court, arguing it lacked jurisdiction over both the US and Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also vowed to "dismantle" the ICC, accusing it of "waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles" but through "the force of so-called international law."

Netanyahu has dismissed Mamdani's comments, saying he was not concerned by the prospect of arrest.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said Netanyahu "will come to New York, address the United Nations General Assembly with pride, and stand before the world to state Israel's truth and its unwavering right to defend its citizens."

However, Trump's ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, called Mamdani's proposal "pure political theater" because the US is not a member of the ICC.