President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested if he travels to the country to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, scheduled for September in New York, despite the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The statement of the president comes after the mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, said that his administration is analyzing the legal options available in case the Israeli leader visits the city, considering the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the military offensive in Gaza.

Through a message published in Truth Social, Trump was categorical in ruling out any possibility of an arrest.

“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, under any circumstances, while in the United States of America,” the US president wrote.

In the same message, Trump defended his Israeli ally by pointing out that "it is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran" and maintained that those responsible for the violence in the region are those who pushed Tehran into a "spiral of death and destruction".

Mamdani insists he looks at legal options

Trump's remarks came in response to debate following an interview Mamdani gave to The New York Times' The Interview podcast, in which he said he was in discussions with the city's Legal Department to determine whether there was legal authority to order Netanyahu's arrest during an eventual visit to New York.

The mayor said that the Israeli prime minister "should be in The Hague" and described him as a "war criminal" accused by the International Criminal Court. During a subsequent press conference, Mamdani reiterated his criticism of Netanyahu for the war in Gaza, although he said that any decision by his administration must comply with the legislation in force in the United States.

The statements revived the political confrontation between Trump and the New York mayor, who in recent weeks have exchanged criticism on different domestic and international policy issues.

ICC Order Maintains International Debate

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Israel rejects the court's jurisdiction and maintains that its military operations constitute a legitimate response to the attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023.

The United States is also not a party to the Rome Statute, a treaty that gave rise to the ICC, so it is not legally obliged to execute the arrest warrants issued by that international court. Netanyahu's possible visit to the UN General Assembly has drawn international attention because of the diplomatic and legal implications it could represent.

On a previous trip to New York, the official Israeli aircraft modified its route to avoid flying over France and Spain, two countries that are signatories to the Rome Statute, with the aim of reducing the risk of an emergency landing that could lead to the execution of the arrest warrant.

For now, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, reiterated that Netanyahu maintains his intention to attend the General Assembly and present his government's position to the international community, while the White House made it clear that, if the trip comes to fruition, the Israeli president will have the support of the Trump administration during his stay on US soil.