Politics · Trump, Mamdani · ArchiveTrump Says Netanyahu Won't Be Arrested in NYC as Mayor Mamdani Backs DownAired July 22, 2026 at 8:11 AM UTCWritten September 7, 2026 at 9:22 PM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:00President Trump has made it clear,0:02Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin0:03Netanyahu will not be arrested on0:05American soil. That declaration comes0:07after New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani0:09spent weeks exploring whether to enforce0:11an International Criminal Court war0:13crimes warrant against Netanyahu during0:15his expected UN visit this September.0:18But the legal and diplomatic obstacles0:19proved insurmountable. Mayor Mamdani0:21campaigned on a pledge to arrest0:23Netanyahu under the ICC's November 20240:26warrant. He told the New York Times on0:28July 18th that his administration was in0:30active conversations about enforcing it.0:32President Trump responded forcefully on0:34Truth Social on July 21st, writing that0:36Netanyahu will not be arrested in any0:38way, shape, or form while in the United0:39States. President Trump's statement shut0:41down any possibility of New York City0:43enforcing the ICC warrant on federal0:46soil. On the same day, Mayor Mamdani0:48conceded in a video statement. He called0:50Netanyahu a war criminal, but0:52acknowledged the city lacks the power to0:54act, and urged the federal government to0:56join the ICC and execute the warrant0:58itself. Multiple legal barriers blocked1:00any arrest. The United States is not a1:02member of the International Criminal1:04Court. The American Service Members1:05Protection Act specifically prohibits1:07local cooperation with the ICC. Sitting1:09heads of government enjoy diplomatic1:11immunity under customary international1:13law, and the UN Headquarters Agreement1:15obligates the United States to allow1:16foreign leaders access to the General1:18Assembly. The ICC is based in The Hague.1:21Netanyahu governs from Jerusalem. The1:23confrontation played out between New1:25York City Hall and the White House, and1:27New York Governor Kathy Hochul had1:28already stated the mayor lacks the1:29authority to make such an arrest.1:31Netanyahu is expected to visit New York1:33in September 2026 for the United Nations1:35General Assembly. The episode marks a1:38high-profile campaign pledge colliding1:40with legal reality, testing the1:41boundaries of federal supremacy,1:43international law, and diplomatic1:44immunity on American soil.Explore with HeyDexThe shortThe short ↗