U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for the cancellation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, describing the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt” and a “horror show.”
“I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump said that he and Netanyahu had just gone through “hell” during the 12-day conflict against Iran. “And Bibi could not have been better, sharper or stronger in his love for the incredible Holy Land.”
Trump noted that Netanyahu has been summoned to court on Monday for the continuation of what he described as a “politically motivated” case aimed at doing the Israeli leader “great harm.”
Netanyahu is facing bribery and breach-of-trust charges in three cases, labeled 1000, 2000 and 4000. The latter is the most serious, and the only one featuring bribery charges. Members of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, as well as its coalition partners and some opposition politicians, have dismissed the trial as a partisan attempt to oust the prime minister via non-democratic means.
According to Trump, Netanyahu is being forced to continue a “horror show” that has dragged on since May 2020—the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has ever faced trial. He dismissed the charges as related to “cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll and numerous other unfair” accusations.
Trump called for the proceedings to be “canceled immediately” or for Netanyahu to be granted a pardon, describing the ordeal as a “witch hunt” against “a great hero who has done so much for the State [of Israel].”
The American leader concluded by saying that perhaps no one had worked more effectively with him during his presidency than Netanyahu, adding that the United States had “saved Israel” and would now do the same for its prime minister. He described the legal proceedings against Netanyahu as a “travesty of justice” and asserted that it “cannot be allowed.”
The Israeli prime minister thanked Trump in a Hebrew-language social media post on Thursday afternoon for his “unwavering support for the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
“His call to cancel the witch hunt against me and recognition of our joint efforts against Iran’s nuclear threat are greatly appreciated,” Netanyahu wrote. “Together, we will continue to ensure Israel’s security and future.”