US President Donald Trump has called for Israel to “pardon” Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for alleged corruption, or drop the case altogether.
He also claimed in a social media post that the US had saved Israel – alluding to its intervention in Israel’s war with Iran – and would now also “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 wrote his own post thanking Trump “for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel”.
Israel’s main opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised Trump’s statement, saying he should not “intervene in a legal process of an independent state”.
Trump’s post comes days after he rebuked Israel for attacking Iran after he had announced a ceasefire deal between the two following a 12-day exchange of missiles.
Netanyahu has repeatedly praised Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday, calling it a “bold” move.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump described his long-time ally as a “great hero, who has done so much” for Israel, and a “warrior”.
He said Netanyahu’s trial should be “cancelled immediately” or he should be given a pardon, adding that he learned Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Netanyahu has appeared in court multiple times since the trial started.
Trump described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt” – a term he repeatedly used to describe investigations into his own alleged wrongdoing in the US, adding: “This travesty of ‘justice cannot be allowed!”
After Trump said there was “no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony” with him, Netanyahu said: “We will continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, free our hostages, and quickly expand the circle of peace.”
But Yair Lapid suggested the attempted intervention might be part of a calculated move by Trump.
“I hope and suppose that this is a reward [Trump] is giving [Netanyahu] because he is planning to pressure him on Gaza and force, to 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 the conflicts Israel has been engaged in since the deadly and unprecedented 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leading to delays in the legal proceedings.
In particular, the length of the war against Hamas in Gaza has led to claims by some that Netanyahu wants to prolong the fighting to delay elections and the conclusion of his trials.