00:00Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal, the architect of a horrific genocide against
00:04the Palestinian people.
00:05He is responsible for the killing of more than 73,000 people, for the maiming of tens
00:12of thousands of children, as those who survive undergo amputation without anesthesia, for
00:18the targeting of neonatal hospitals and maternity care centers, denying newborns even the chance
00:23to live, for the countless people he starved as he blocked food and humanitarian aid from
00:27reaching them, for the gunning down of hundreds of aid workers and journalists.
00:32And just last month, the U.N. confirmed that Palestinian children continue to be deliberately
00:37targeted and killed by Israeli armed forces, more than eight months after the so-called
00:42ceasefire.
00:43The list goes on and on, all as we, as Americans, pay for the bombs that do the killing.
00:50There is a reason the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.
00:53As human beings, we have spent generations building a shared understanding that there
00:58are crimes so grave they offend all of humanity.
01:02Anyone with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience should recognize the devastation
01:08he has wrought and understand that he belongs before a court of law.
01:13As I've said, I agree with the ICC that Benjamin Netanyahu should be arrested and tried for his
01:18crimes, as I do for anyone else charged by the ICC.
01:23My administration has reviewed every avenue available under applicable law to determine
01:28whether New York City could execute the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant if Benjamin Netanyahu
01:33came here.
01:34It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant.
01:39The federal government, however, does.
01:40And I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.
01:45And I want to be equally clear.
01:47Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City, nor is any other war criminal at large.
01:52While we cannot end the genocide on our own, we can decide whether our silence will become
01:57another weapon.
01:57And we can examine every tool we have to defend the humanity and dignity of all people.
02:03That is my commitment to you.
02:06When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, we're speaking about someone who's the subject of
02:11an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
02:13When someone is charged with an International Criminal Court warrant, it's something that
02:16should be taken seriously, whether it's Benjamin Netanyahu or it's Vladimir Putin or whomever
02:20else.
02:21Was Benjamin Netanyahu worried that his next visit to America could turn into a legal nightmare?
02:28Donald Trump certainly acted as if those fears needed to be put to rest.
02:33In a dramatic declaration, Trump announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would
02:40not be arrested anywhere in the United States.
02:43The statement comes even before Netanyahu's expected visit to New York for the United Nations
02:49General Assembly and amid renewed focus on the International Criminal Court arrest warrant
02:55against him.
02:56Why did Trump feel the need to make such a public guarantee?
03:00Because New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani recently revealed that the city's legal department is
03:06examining what the law might allow if Netanyahu enters the city.
03:10Mamdani has openly said he believes Netanyahu belongs in The Hague to face charges before the
03:17International Criminal Court.
03:18When it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu, we're speaking about someone who's the subject of
03:23an International Criminal Court arrest warrant.
03:26And he's the subject of this arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity, for war crimes.
03:32And he's the architect of the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza as Israel's prime minister.
03:37These are not facts of my personal assessment.
03:40They are facts of public record.
03:42And I believe that when someone is charged with an International Criminal Court warrant,
03:48it's something that should be taken seriously, whether it's Benjamin Netanyahu or it's Vladimir Putin or whomever else.
03:52The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in 2024 over alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict.
04:01Israel rejects the court's authority and denies all allegations.
04:06The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC.
04:10Yet, instead of allowing legal institutions to speak for themselves,
04:15Trump stepped in with an extraordinary political assurance,
04:18declaring that Netanyahu would not be arrested in any way, shape, or form,
04:24Trump effectively signaled unwavering protection for one of America's closest allies.
04:30Critics argue that the statement raises uncomfortable questions.
04:34Is Washington shielding an ally from international accountability?
04:38Does political loyalty outweigh the principles of international justice?
04:43Those questions are once again dominating the debate.
04:46Israel has dismissed the ICC warrant as bogus and branded the court illegitimate.
04:53But the warrant remains active internationally,
04:56ensuring that every overseas trip by Netanyahu now carries legal and diplomatic scrutiny.
05:02For now, Trump's message is unmistakable.
05:06As long as he's in charge, Netanyahu has America's political backing and, according to Trump,
05:12nothing to fear from any arrest on U.S. soil.
05:15The legal debate, however, is far from over.
05:18The ICC warrant still exists, New York officials say they are reviewing the law,
05:24and Netanyahu's expected U.S. visit is already shaping up to be one of the most politically charged diplomatic trips
05:31in recent memory.
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