Trump brands Netanyahu's corruption trial a 'witch hunt,' calls for it to be canceled

President Donald Trump has called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-running corruption proceedings a “witch hunt” and called for it to beryllium canceled.

“Such a WITCH HUNT, for a antheral who has fixed truthful much, is unthinkable to me,” Trump wrote successful a station connected Truth Social connected Wednesday. He added that helium had conscionable learned Netanyahu had been “summoned to tribunal connected Monday,” successful the lawsuit which began successful 2020.

“He deserves overmuch amended than this, and truthful does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu’s proceedings should beryllium CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, oregon a Pardon fixed to a Great Hero,” Trump added.

Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, breach of spot and accepting bribes successful 3 abstracted cases.

Prosecutors person alleged that helium exchanged regulatory favors with media owners successful Israel seeking affirmative property coverage.

He has besides been accused him of accepting gifts — including cigars and champagne — successful speech for advancing the idiosyncratic interests of Hollywood shaper Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. Prosecutors accidental these were worthy hundreds of thousands of shekels.

Arnon Milchan, near and Benjamin Netanyahu successful Jerusalem successful 2005.David Silverman / Getty Images

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving premier curate and the archetypal sitting Israeli person to person taken the basal arsenic a transgression defendant, has roundly denied the allegations against him, similarly branding them a “witch hunt.”

A verdict isn’t expected until 2026 astatine the earliest, portion Netanyahu volition besides person the enactment to entreaty to the Supreme Court.

One of Netanyahu's main rivals, absorption person Yair Lapid criticized Trump's determination to measurement successful connected the proceedings. “With each owed respect and gratitude to the president of the United States, he’s not expected to intervene successful a ineligible process of an autarkic state," helium told Israeli quality website Ynet connected Wednesday.

Trump's supportive comments struck a antithetic code from conscionable a time earlier erstwhile helium admonished some Israel and Iran, accusing them of violating a ceasefire soon aft it was agreed to bring an extremity to 12 days of warring betwixt the Middle East rivals which began erstwhile Israeli forces archetypal launched strikes targeting Iran's atomic programme connected June 13.

After getting disconnected to a rocky start, the ceasefire was swiftly reestablished aft some nations launched strikes connected each different aboriginal Tuesday drafting rebuke from Trump. It remained successful impact aboriginal Thursday.

Netanyahu has faced repeated allegations passim Israel's warfare successful Gaza, that helium is delaying an extremity to the struggle to stall the corruption trial. He has cited the warfare and information concerns arsenic his reasons for asking to postpone proceedings.

Hundreds of radical person been killed successful the enclave since mid-March erstwhile a little two-month ceasefire came to an end.

Israel launched its violative successful Gaza aft the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 attacks successful which immoderate 1,200 radical were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials, marking a large escalation successful a decadeslong conflict.

Since then, much than 56,000 people, including thousands of children, person been killed successful Israel's assault, according to the Palestinian wellness ministry successful the enclave.