Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is guaranteed protection from prosecution during his visit to the US, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was discussing the possible arrest of the Israeli politician.
"Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested in any way during his stay in the US", Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.
According to the head of the White House, the Israeli prime minister "is fighting Iran, which has killed 52 thousand innocent protesters and which has killed American servicemen and others for the past 47 years people".
"The only ones who should be arrested are those people who led Iran into an unprecedented spiral of death and destruction", the American leader added.
A day earlier, the mayor of New York expressed the opinion that Netanyahu is "a war criminal against whom the International Criminal Court has indicted". According to Mamdani, "Prime Minister Netanyahu's place is in The Hague (where the International Criminal Court is located - IF)". He added that it is not entirely clear whether the New York police will be able to detain Netanyahu if he arrives at the UN General Assembly in September. However, Mamdani stressed that he is having "active talks" on this issue with the heads of law enforcement agencies in the city.
In November 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister for "crimes against humanity and war crimes" in connection with the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
In February 2025, the US president signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC for actions against the US and its allies, including Israel.
According to the Rome Statute, on the basis of which the ICC was established, its jurisdiction includes persons who have committed acts of genocide or war crimes.
The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, which is why it has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over American citizens.