United States President Donald Trump has firmly rejected a threat from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visits New York City. Trump insisted that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form” while in the US, despite an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

The ICC issued the warrant in 2024, charging Netanyahu with war crimes related to Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, who oversees the city’s police department, had previously warned during his mayoral campaign that he would order Netanyahu’s arrest if he set foot in New York, framing it as enforcement of the ICC warrant.

Mamdani later stated that his administration is still considering whether to arrest Netanyahu should he attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September 2026. However, he expressed uncertainty about his legal authority to direct the police to detain a foreign leader and said he is in “an active conversation” with the city’s Law Department. He emphasized, “Whatever the law allows me to do in New York City, that’s what we will do, but we won’t be writing our own laws to that end.”

In a social media post on Monday, Trump credited Israel with helping the US in its war on Iran, without directly naming Mamdani. Mamdani has stated in an interview that he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague,” referring to the ICC’s location.

Sources