Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
A protester stands in rain near the White House on July 28, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Finn Gomez/Getty Images/AFP)
Nearly half of Americans believe that Prime Minister Benjamin should be arrested on war crimes charges while he is in the country this week to meet US President Donald Trump, a new poll suggests.
Asked about the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes related to Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, 49% of respondents to an Economist/YouGov survey say the Israeli premier should be detained. Another 27% say he should not be arrested and 23% are unsure.
The US is not a member of the ICC and the Trump administration has flatly rejected the ICC case against Israel and has sanctioned the Hague officials involved. Israel strongly refutes the war crimes allegations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the White House on July 28, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images/AFP)
However, the poll still offers a barometer on how Americans view Netanyahu, whose upcoming visit to New York for the UN General Assembly in September had been shadowed by threats from the city’s mayor to try and have him arrested.
Among Democrats, 68% backed arresting Netanyahu, compared to 24% of Republicans and 55% of independents who said the same.
Similar figures were shown across the board when respondents were asked whether they thought Netanyahu is guilty of war crimes.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
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