US President Donald Trump has urged Israel to “pardon” Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for suspected corruption, or drop the case entirely.
He also stated in a social media post that the US had saved Israel – referring to its intervention in Israel’s conflict with Iran – and would now “save” Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister denies charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, for which he has been on trial since 2020.
Netanyahu published his own message, thanking Trump for his “moving support for me and tremendous support for Israel”.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s primary opposition leader, slammed Trump’s statement, saying he should not “intervene in a legal process of an independent state”.
Trump’s post came only days after he chastised Israel for hitting Iran after announcing a ceasefire between the two countries following a 12-day missile war.
Netanyahu has frequently supported Trump’s decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday, describing it as a “bold” move.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump referred to his long-time ally as a “great hero, who has done so much” for Israel and a “warrior”.
He claimed Netanyahu’s trial should be “cancelled immediately” or he should be pardoned, and that he had learnt Netanyahu was scheduled to appear in court on Monday. Netanyahu has appeared in court several times since the trial began.
Trump referred to the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt”, a term he has previously used to describe probes into his own alleged misdeeds in the United States, adding, “This travesty of ‘justice’ cannot be allowed!”
After Trump remarked there was “no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony” with him, Netanyahu stated, “We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.”
However, Yair Lapid argued that Trump’s attempted intervention was part of a premeditated move.
“I hope and suppose that this is a reward [Trump] is giving [Netanyahu] because he is planning to pressure him on Gaza and force him into a hostage deal that will end the war,” Yair Lapid told Israeli news website Ynet.
Netanyahu’s trials have been taking place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing hostilities since the tragic and unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, causing delays in the legal proceedings.
Some have claimed that the length of Netanyahu’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza is intended to delay elections and the conclusion of his trials.
