Israel opposition chief asks Trump not to ‘interfere' in Netanyahu trial
Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a 'witch hunt,' echoing the Israeli premier's dismissal of the corruption charges which he has flatly rejected.
In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial 'should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero,' after the end of a 12-day war with Iran.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet: 'We are thankful to President Trump, but... the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country.'
Lapid, of the center-right Yesh Atid party, backed a statement by one of Netanyahu's coalition allies, Simcha Rothman of the far-right Religious Zionism party, who called for Trump to stay out of the court case.
'It is not the role of the president of the United States to interfere in legal proceedings in the State of Israel,' said Rothman, who chairs the Israeli parliament's judicial affairs committee.
Rothman, a vocal critic of what he argues is judicial overreach, however said that 'the management of Netanyahu's cases is transforming the image of the State of Israel from a regional and global power into a banana republic.'
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of another far-right party in Netnayhua's coalition, branded the trial as politically motivated.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was 'distorted, unreasonable, contrary to the basic sense of justice' to continue Netanyahu's trial at war, backing Trump's call to drop the charges against the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. During his current term since late 2022, his government has proposed a series of far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts.
In the trial that has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.
In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
Two other cases allege that Netanyahu attempted to negotiate more favorable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.
Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the proceedings, most recently citing the ongoing war in Gaza since April 2023, later in Lebanon and earlier this month in Iran.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
France urges Israel to drop West Bank settlement plan
France's foreign ministry Saturday called on Israel to drop a plan to build thousands of new homes in the West Bank, calling the project 'a serious violation of international law.' A ministry spokesman said that France 'condemns with the utmost firmness' the Israeli decision to build 3,400 homes in a particularly contentious area of the occupied West Bank. Several countries have said that project, called E1, undermines hopes for a contiguous future Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Zelenskyy to meet Trump in Washington after Alaska summit
KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday in Washington, following the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska that ended without an agreement to halt the war in Ukraine. The summit produced what Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin called an 'understanding,' but no concrete commitments. On Saturday, Trump shifted his position, saying a comprehensive peace deal—not a ceasefire—was now the preferred path to ending the war, aligning more closely with Moscow's long-standing stance. 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement,' Trump posted after holding calls with Zelenskyy and European leaders. The European leaders, in a joint statement, welcomed Trump's efforts but stopped short of endorsing his preference for a peace agreement over a ceasefire. They reiterated their support for 'just and lasting peace' and Ukraine's sovereignty. Trump had previously pushed for a ceasefire as a prerequisite to talks. But analysts say his new approach could empower Russia to continue military operations during negotiations. Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the Alaska summit, said he had a 'long and substantive' call with Trump and looked forward to discussing 'all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war' in their Monday meeting. It will be Zelenskyy's first U.S. visit since a tense Oval Office meeting in February, where Trump accused him of being disrespectful. Trump also held calls with leaders from France, Germany, Italy, the U.K., Finland, Poland, and the European Union. The group expressed readiness to support a trilateral summit involving Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S. In the statement, the leaders underscored that 'Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees,' and that 'international borders must not be changed by force.' EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas noted that Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met in Alaska. Zelenskyy said he welcomes the idea of a three-way summit and emphasized that European involvement is essential to any future guarantees. 'Key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,' he said. However, Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov said the topic of a trilateral meeting 'has not been touched upon yet.' Zelenskyy said he told Trump that sanctions on Russia should be strengthened if Moscow avoids honest talks. Meanwhile, Russian officials described the summit as a symbolic end to Putin's isolation. Former President Dmitry Medvedev called it a 'breakthrough,' and Russian media portrayed Putin as reemerging on the world stage. Despite the diplomatic theater, violence continued overnight. Ukraine's air force reported that it shot down 61 of 85 Shahed drones launched by Russia, which also fired a ballistic missile. Russian forces struck regions including Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Chernihiv. Russia claimed it downed 29 Ukrainian drones over its territory and the Sea of Azov. The 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line remains active, with Russian forces capturing more territory in recent months. 'Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war,' said Neil Melvin of the Royal United Services Institute. 'He will consider the outcome a mission accomplished.' — Agencies
Saudi Gazette
3 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
European leaders back Trump's Ukraine peace push, support trilateral talks with Zelenskyy
BRUSSELS — European leaders expressed strong support on Saturday for U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to advance peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. In a joint statement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and Portuguese President António Costa welcomed Trump's initiative to 'stop the killing in Ukraine, end the war, and achieve just and lasting peace.' The statement came after Trump briefed European counterparts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his Friday meeting with Putin — the first encounter between U.S. and Russian presidents since February 2022. Citing Trump's remark that 'there's no deal until there's a deal,' the European leaders emphasized that further negotiations must include Zelenskyy, whom Trump is scheduled to meet soon in Washington. 'We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support,' the statement said, calling for 'ironclad security guarantees' for Ukraine to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The leaders welcomed Trump's declared willingness to provide U.S. security guarantees and stressed that no restrictions should be imposed on Ukraine's armed forces or international defense partnerships.'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO,' the leaders also pledged to maintain pressure on Moscow 'as long as the killing in Ukraine continues,' and reiterated their refusal to accept any forced change of international Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted separately on social media platform X, affirming the bloc's commitment to working closely with Kyiv and Washington to ensure peace and long-term security in the region.'Strong security guarantees that protect Ukrainian and European vital security interests are essential,' she and Putin, who met privately for over three hours in Alaska, both described the summit as productive, with Putin claiming the talks resulted in an 'understanding.' Trump later said the outcome now depended on Zelenskyy and European partners to move the process forward. — Agencies
