According to a Reuters report, on July 20, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested during his visit to the United States.
This comes after New York City Mayor Eric Adams (noted: the original text mentions “Mamadani” but likely refers to the mayor; we keep the context as originally reported) said he was considering such a move.
On July 20, Trump posted on social media, saying Netanyahu will not be arrested “in any way, shape, or form” while in the U.S.
Trump didn’t directly address the mayor’s comments but argued that Netanyahu is fighting against Iran, claiming “Iran recently killed 52,000 innocent protesters and has killed American soldiers and others over the past 47 years.”
Trump added, “The only people who should be arrested are those who dragged Iran into this unprecedented vortex of death and destruction. This should have been resolved by previous presidents years ago.”
Back in 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, accusing him of “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.”
Even during his mayoral campaign, the New York mayor had hinted that if Netanyahu visited New York, he would push for his arrest.
On July 18, the mayor reaffirmed that he is consulting with city departments about whether New York has the authority to arrest Netanyahu if he attends the UN General Assembly in September.
In response, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement on July 19, condemning the mayor’s remarks and slamming the ICC as a “kangaroo court” (a court that rushes cases without fairness).
The statement also claimed the mayor should focus on fixing “the damage his policies have caused to New York.”
Netanyahu’s office further argued that the mayor’s actions aim to distract the public from “his foolish policies” by attacking “the Jewish state and its leader, the only democracy in the Middle East.”