Trump says Netanyahu will not be arrested during New York visit

President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not be arrested during a planned September visit to New York, setting up a direct clash with New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a possible legal confrontation at the United Nations General Assembly. The dispute matters beyond local politics because it touches U.S. foreign policy, Israel’s war posture and the diplomatic stage where world leaders gather each year.

Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social that Netanyahu “will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America.” His post responded to Mamdani’s comments that New York City’s legal department has been discussing whether Netanyahu could be arrested when he comes to the city for the UN meeting.

Mamdani told The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast that he believes Netanyahu “belongs in The Hague.” He described Netanyahu as “a war criminal” and said the Israeli leader has been charged by the International Criminal Court, commonly known as the ICC.

The ICC is an international tribunal that brings cases involving alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Mamdani’s comments framed the issue as a legal and moral one, while Trump’s response framed it as a matter of U.S. support for Netanyahu and Israel.

Trump ties Netanyahu defense to Iran

In his Truth Social post, Trump said Netanyahu is fighting the Islamic Republic of Iran. Trump claimed Iran “recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors” and said Iran has spent 47 years killing American soldiers and others.

Trump also wrote that the people who should be arrested are those who led Iran into what he called a “spiral of death and destruction.” He argued that earlier U.S. presidents should have dealt with the issue years ago.

The comments came as Netanyahu is expected to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. The annual gathering brings heads of state and senior officials to the city, making security, legal jurisdiction and diplomatic protocol especially sensitive.

Mamdani has not said that an arrest is certain. His stated position is that the city’s legal department is reviewing the possibility. Trump, by contrast, presented the outcome as settled, saying Netanyahu would not be arrested while in the United States.

The exchange highlights a rare public conflict between the president and New York City’s mayor over how U.S. territory should treat a visiting allied leader facing international legal scrutiny. For now, the confirmed facts are the two public positions: Mamdani says the city is discussing the legal possibility of an arrest, and Trump says it will not happen.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.