U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 20 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will "absolutely not" be arrested while in the United States for the UN General Assembly this September, dismissing concerns over an outstanding International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
In a post on his social media platform, Trump stated that Netanyahu would not be detained "in any form" during his time in the country. The president made no mention of comments by New York City Mayor Mamdani, but instead focused on Netanyahu's ongoing conflict with Iran, alleging that "Iran has recently killed 52,000 innocent protesters and has killed American soldiers and other personnel over the past 47 years." Trump added: "The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION".
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024, charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel's massive aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip beginning in October 2023, which resulted in heavy Palestinian civilian casualties. The warrant obligates ICC member states to detain the prime minister if he enters their territory, though the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.
New York City Mayor revealed in an interview with The New York Times on July 19 that his administration was in consultation with city legal departments to determine whether local authorities would have the authority to arrest Netanyahu should he travel to New York for the UN General Assembly in September. Adams did not indicate what the outcome of those consultations might be.
The White House has not issued a formal statement on the matter, but Trump's social media remarks effectively serve as a presidential assurance that the Israeli leader will face no legal action while on U.S. soil.
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