Former President Donald Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America." Trump made the declaration on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Monday.
Trump also criticized Iran, asserting that its officials should be the ones detained. "He [Netanyahu] 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," Trump wrote. "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."
The comments come in response to a stated desire by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to pursue the arrest of Netanyahu should he visit New York City. Mamdani had campaigned on this premise and recently reiterated his intention. The mayor's stance is based on the International Criminal Court's (ICC) 2024 arrest warrant for Netanyahu concerning the war in Gaza. However, the United States does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction. Mamdani has also indicated that he would comply with U.S. laws in his capacity as mayor.