WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM, July 27: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has departed for the United States for an official visit, where he is expected to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on a range of bilateral and regional issues.
According to the Israeli government’s Arabic-language account on X, Netanyahu is traveling to Washington at Trump’s invitation.
The visit comes amid renewed controversy following remarks by New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who recently described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and urged U.S. authorities to enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant if the Israeli leader enters the country.
Despite the calls, President Trump has made it clear that Netanyahu will not be arrested during his visit to the United States.
Netanyahu also said he still intends to travel to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly despite the criticism and demands for his detention.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 against Netanyahu and former Israeli
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Gaza. Israel rejects the allegations, and the United States is not a party to the
ICC.
Source: Anadolu Agency.
