President Trump declared Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face zero risk of arrest during his upcoming visit to the United States — slamming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s repeated demands that the Israeli leader be detained.
Trump took to Truth Social to shut down Mamdani’s claims, emphasizing Netanyahu is fighting America’s enemies.
“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America. He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors, and has spent the last 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others. 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!”
Mamdani, the Democrat socialist mayor of New York, has repeatedly called for Netanyahu’s arrest, citing an International Criminal Court warrant from 2024. On Saturday’s New York Times podcast “The Interview,” Mamdani escalated his rhetoric.
“I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in the Hague,” Mamdani said. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court.”
The mayor doubled down: “We’re talking about the international criminal court and the fact that they have a warrant out for this prime minister’s arrest, and I think it’s important to talk about the weight that that has as a charge and that also, as the mayor of New York City, I’ll be following the laws of New York City.”
Mamdani’s claims rest on the ICC’s 2024 allegations against Netanyahu — charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity, according to the court’s statement.
But legal experts and federal officials note Mamdani’s threat is empty. The United States is not a member of the ICC. Federal law prohibits local municipalities from cooperating with the court or obstructing foreign heads of state, according to The Guardian.
Legal experts told the New York Times that arresting Netanyahu “would be a practical impossibility” and could put Mamdani in direct legal conflict with the U.S. Federal Government.
During The Interview, Mamdani appeared to acknowledge these restrictions but pledged to do “whatever the law allows me to do in New York City.”
Netanyahu, appearing on 77 WABC radio Saturday with host Sid Rosenberg, was asked whether he feared Mamdani would attempt an arrest when he arrives in September for the United Nations General Assembly.
“No I’m not. I think he [Mamdani] should look at who he is condemning—Israel—the one democracy that stands shoulder to shoulder with American values. He basically apologizes and excuses for Iran- the greatest terror regime on earth… so he’s with the terror actors. I think the problem is that he doesn’t recognize, or he doesn’t care, that those who hate the Jews and Israel hate America—and in fact, I think he secretly hates America.”
Netanyahu, appearing on Sid Rosenberg’s radio show, claims Mamdani “champions” Hamas and “apologizes and accuses for Iran,
“He is with the terror actors… I think, secretly, he hates America.” pic.twitter.com/x2ILVvhAFX
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) July 15, 2026
World leaders from United Nations member states will gather in New York this September for the annual General Assembly session — an event Netanyahu has attended regularly in previous years.
Trump’s statement makes clear the Israeli prime minister will have full federal protection during his visit.
