Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned what he called an attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump, even as he himself travels under an active international arrest warrant and presides over a state facing genocide proceedings at the world's highest court.
Trump was rushed off stage at the Washington Hilton on the evening of 25 April 2026, after a gunman opened fire at a security checkpoint outside the ballroom hosting the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
"My wife and I were shocked to hear about the repeated attempt to assassinate Trump and his wife - There is no place for violence against anyone"Netanyahu lectures the world about violence while his country is on trial for genocidepic.twitter.com/HK0p355U4r
Netanyahuposted on Xthat he and his wife Sara 'were shocked by the attempted assassination of President [Donald Trump]' and praised the US Secret Service for their 'swift and decisive action.' His words carry a particular weight given that theInternational Criminal Courtissued his own arrest warrant just five months prior, and that Israel has been defending itself at theInternational Court of Justiceagainst allegations of genocide in Gaza since December 2023.
The suspect, identified by authorities as Cole Tomas Allen, reportedly travelled from California to Washington, DC, by train and was confronted at a security checkpoint at approximately 20:36 EDT before firing at least one shot.
US Attorney for WashingtonJeanine Pirro confirmedthat Allen was charged that same night with using a firearm during a crime of violence and with assault of a federal officer using a dangerous weapon, with additional charges expected. Allen has not cooperated with investigators. Trump, who briefly fell while being escorted off the stage, later said the officer who was shot was 'doing great.'
It was thethird shooting incident targeting Trump in under two years, following the July 2024 attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania and the September 2024 attempt near his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Netanyahu's condemnation was swift. In addition to his post on X, he released a video statement in which he described the attack as an attempt to 'murder American democracy,'according to reporting by VINnews.
"My wife and I were shocked to hear about the repeated attempt to assassinate Trump and his wife - There is no place for violence against anyone"Netanyahu lectures the world about violence while his country is on trial for genocidepic.twitter.com/HK0p355U4r
Israeli President Isaac Herzog echoed the sentiment, expressing 'relief' that Trump and other attendees were unharmed. The irony of a leader condemned by international tribunals positioning himself as a defender of democratic values was not lost on observers.
On 21 November 2024, theInternational Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously issued an arrest warrantfor Netanyahu, finding reasonable grounds to believe he bore criminal responsibility for alleged crimes committed in Gaza from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024. The chamber found him a co-perpetrator of the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and of crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. Israel had challenged the court's jurisdiction; the chamber rejected those challenges unanimously.
Source: International Business Times UK
