Photo: IANS
Washington: US President Donald Trump has rejected remarks by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could face arrest if he visits the city over allegations of war crimes.
In a social media post on Monday, Trump said Netanyahu would not be arrested under any circumstances while in the United States. Without naming Mamdani directly, he also praised Israel for its support of the US during its conflict with Iran.
Mamdani had earlier said his administration was examining whether Netanyahu could be arrested if he attends the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September. In an interview published on Saturday, the mayor said he believed Netanyahu should stand trial in The Hague, referring to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant against the Israeli leader in 2024 on charges of alleged war crimes during Israel's military campaign in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.
Mamdani said Netanyahu had been charged by the ICC and argued that many people shared his assessment in view of the Israeli prime minister's actions over the years.
He also said it remained unclear whether he had the legal authority to instruct the New York Police Department to arrest a visiting foreign leader. According to Mamdani, his administration was consulting the city's Law Department to determine what action, if any, could legally be taken, adding that the city would act only within the limits of the law.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani had pledged to direct police to arrest Netanyahu if he visited New York, describing it as enforcement of the ICC warrant. Netanyahu is expected to travel to New York in September for the annual UN General Assembly.
Reacting to Mamdani's remarks, the Israeli government dismissed the ICC as a "kangaroo court" and described the arrest warrant against Netanyahu as "bogus". It also accused the mayor of attempting to divert attention from his own political challenges.
The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, claims jurisdiction in the case, although both Israel and the United States reject the court's authority and are not members of the tribunal.
The Trump administration has also taken steps against the ICC by imposing sanctions on judges, prosecutors and organisations involved in cases concerning alleged human rights violations by Israel.