Trump vows Netanyahu won't be arrested as Mamdani calls him a war criminal

Jul 21, 2026

New York's incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani is softening his campaign promise to arrest Netanyahu, and Trump has stepped in to guarantee it will never happen.

  • Mamdani still calls Netanyahu a war criminal wanted by the ICC, but now says he will only do what New York law allows — which is effectively nothing.
  • A city mayor has no power to arrest a foreign leader, and the US never signed on to the ICC in the first place.
  • Trump publicly promised Netanyahu will not be arrested "in any way, shape, or form" on US soil, pointing the finger at Iran instead.
  • Trump has quietly refused to schedule a meeting with Netanyahu for over two weeks, after months of near-instant access — nobody can explain why.
  • Israel is sitting out the current US bombing campaign against Iran, with its own finance minister saying the standoff suits Israel just fine.

Outlook: Netanyahu will visit New York in September for the UN General Assembly untouched, while the US keeps carrying the cost of the Iran fight alone.

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