Trump guarantees Netanyahu will not be arrested in US after NYC mayor threatens to enforce ICC warrant

Trump's guarantee

On Monday, July 20, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will not be arrested under any circumstances" while in the United States. The statement came two days after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told The New York Times he was exploring whether he could legally detain Netanyahu during the UN General Assembly in September. Trump praised Netanyahu's role in the war against Iran, claiming the Islamic Republic had "recently killed 52,000 innocent protesters" and spent 47 years killing American soldiers. He added that "the only people who should be arrested are those who have led Iran into this unprecedented spiral of death and destruction."

Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested under any circumstances while he is in the United States of America.

Mayor's threat

Mayor Mamdani, a Democrat, said in an interview published Saturday that he was in "active conversation" with the city's Law Department to determine his authority to arrest a foreign leader. He called Netanyahu a "war criminal" and said "his place is in The Hague." The mayor had previously pledged to use city police to execute ICC arrest warrants, including against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ICC issued its warrant for Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity for the deprivation of food, water, fuel and medicine to Gaza's population during the military campaign that followed Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.

I believe his place is in The Hague. He is a war criminal subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.

Israel's response

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon addressed the General Assembly on Monday, calling the threat "empty" and without legal basis. He accused Mamdani of engaging in "political theater" to excite his "radical base." The Israeli mission to the UN said it firmly expects Netanyahu to attend the September debate. Netanyahu's office dismissed Mamdani's statements, telling him to focus on repairing the damage his policies cause in New York, and reiterated that Israel is the "only democracy in the Middle East."

The threat is empty. There is no legal basis for an arrest.

Legal and diplomatic context

The United States does not recognize the International Criminal Court and has never ratified the Rome Statute. The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on several ICC officials, including the prosecutor. Israel also rejects the court's jurisdiction and has demanded the warrants be lifted. While a country's non-recognition does not automatically shield its nationals from ICC proceedings, the US government's stance effectively blocks any local enforcement. The warrant against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant alleges they intentionally deprived Gaza's civilians of essential supplies, charges both men deny.

What happens next

Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly in September, as he does annually. Mamdani has said he will do whatever city law permits, but will not write new laws to achieve an arrest. The standoff pits a mayor's interpretation of international justice against a president's guarantee of immunity, with no resolution in sight before the assembly convenes.