Donald Trump says Netanyahu "not be arrested while in the United States of America"

President Donald Trump responded Monday to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s stated intention to explore local legal options for detaining Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, declaring that the Israeli leader would face no arrest while on U.S. soil. Mamdani had told the press he considered Netanyahu a “war criminal” and was consulting city lawyers about possible action if the prime minister visited New York, though he clarified his office was not seeking to create new laws. Trump’s statement, posted online, rejected any possibility of detention and praised Netanyahu’s actions against Iran. The exchange follows an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued in November 2024 against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza—charges Israel has denied. The U.S., not a party to the ICC’s founding treaty, has no legal obligation to enforce the warrant.