Key Background
Mamdani, who has been a fierce critic of Netanyahu and his government’s conduct in Gaza, was interviewed by the New York Times last week and asked about Netanyahu visiting in September. At the time, Mamdani said: “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague. He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court…I’ve also said that I will follow the laws that we have here in New York City.” When asked what he meant by that, Mamdani said: “That’s an active conversation with our legal department.”
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What Has Trump Said about arresting Netanyahu?
After Mamdani’s New York Times interview, Trump outright dismissed the possibility of Netanyahu getting arrested on U.S. soil in a Truth Social post. Without directly naming Mamdani, Trump wrote: “Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America. He is fighting against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which recently killed 52,000 innocent protestors, and has spent the last 47 years killing American Soldiers, and others. The only ones that should be arrested are the people that led Iran into this unprecedented SPIRAL OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, something that should have been dealt with years ago, by previous Presidents!”
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what has Netanyahu said about Mamdani’s remarks?
Earlier this month, Netanyahu was interviewed by conservative talk radio host and Mamdani critic Sid Rosenberg and addressed the arrest threats. Netanyahu criticized the New York Mayor, saying: “I think he should look at who he’s condemning, who he’s praising. He’s condemning Israel, the one democracy that stands shoulder to shoulder with American values…Who does he champion? Hamas, that calls openly to massacre every Jew on earth.”
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further reading
Mamdani Says He May Still Order Netanyahu’s Arrest (New York Times)