Trump demands end to Netanyahu corruption ‘witch hunt'
Donald Trump has called for the ongoing criminal trial against Benjamin Netanyahu to be cancelled, describing it as a 'witch hunt'.
The US president issued the call yesterday evening on behalf of his Israeli ally, who is due to return to court on Monday after being charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2019.
'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel),' Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
'Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me,' he added.
It is an unprecedented intervention by a US president in Israeli politics and comes after the case was halted due to the war in Iran.
Mr Netanyahu's Likud party received a popularity boost in the wake of the bombing campaign, according to a new poll that found it would win 26 of the Knesset's 120 seats, up four from pre-war polls.
Channel 12, however, reported that sources close to the Israeli prime minister had expected a larger bump and that his poor approval ratings may have delayed plans to hold a snap election after the war. The poll would leave Mr Netanyahu without a majority, likely forcing him into a coalition with ultra-nationalists who have called for the destruction of Gaza.
Writing on Truth Social, Mr Trump said he was 'shocked' to hear that the case against his Israeli counterpart would continue on Monday after the country 'just had one of its Greatest Moments in History'.
'Bibi and I just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land,' the US president said.
'We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel, and there is nobody in Israel's History that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu,' he continued.
In December, Mr Netanyahu, who denies the charges, became the first Israeli prime minister to take the stand as a defendant in a corruption trial.
Cigars and champagne
The 75-year-old is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars' worth of cigars and champagne from a Hollywood producer in exchange for help with personal and business interests, and promoting favourable regulation for media moguls.
Cross-examination of Mr Netanyahu began on June 3, 10 days before Israel launched its aerial campaign against Iran, which ended in a ceasefire on Tuesday.
He described the charges as an 'ocean of absurdity' and claims the charges have been orchestrated by the media and a biased legal system.
The trial has been delayed a number of times since it began in May 2020, including the ongoing war in Gaza and the invasion of Lebanon.
Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, has the power to pardon Mr Netanyahu should he be found guilty, though this is unlikely, according to media reports.
Mr Trump, who faced his own legal troubles in the run up to the 2024 election, said the United States would 'save' Mr Nentanyahu from his legal troubles, though it is unclear what the US president could do to stop the trial.
His support for Mr Netanyahu comes just days after he issued a rare public rebuke of Israel for continuing to bomb Iran, despite a ceasefire – negotiated by Mr Trump – coming into effect.
Mr Trump accused both countries of not knowing 'what the f—- they're doing' after 12 days of war.
The US joined the war on Saturday when it dropped 14 'bunker busting' bombs on Iran's key nuclear facilities, which Mr Trump said had been 'totally obliterated'.
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