‘Witch‑hunt’: Trump Calls on Israel to Halt Netanyahu’s Trial
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Israeli authorities to cancel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial or grant him a pardon, denouncing the legal proceedings as a “witch-hunt.”
Taking to his social media platform, Trump praised Netanyahu as a wartime leader, saying the two “just went through HELL together” during the recent Israel–Iran conflict. He described Netanyahu as a “Great Hero” and argued the trial—brought under allegations including bribery, fraud, and breach of trust—was a “travesty of justice” and should be “CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.”
“It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu,” he added.
Netanyahu, first indicted in 2019, is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges. The trial, which began in late 2020, entered its cross-examination phase on June 3 and is expected to continue for another year under a limited judicial schedule due to wartime conditions.
Trump’s intervention ignited debate over external influence in Israel’s legal system. Critics pointed out that President Isaac Herzog has ruled out a pardon, and Israeli political figures emphasized the independence of their judiciary. Netanyahu’s supporters in his Likud party welcomed Trump’s remarks, with some echoing calls for judicial overhaul.
With input from Al Jazeera
