KUALA LUMPUR – United States President Donald Trump has publicly called for Israel to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial or issue a pardon, describing the proceedings as a politically motivated “witch-hunt”.
In a strongly worded post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump urged Israeli authorities to “CANCEL” the trial “IMMEDIATELY” or grant clemency to Netanyahu, whom he praised as a “great hero” for his contributions to Israel.
“Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me,” Trump wrote on Wednesday, adding he had learned Netanyahu was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
“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.”
Netanyahu, who was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, has denied any wrongdoing. His trial began in 2020 and centres on three separate cases. Cross-examination of the Israeli leader commenced on June 3 in a Tel Aviv courtroom and is anticipated to last up to a year, according to local media.
While Israeli President Isaac Herzog holds the authority to pardon individuals, he has reportedly dismissed the idea of doing so at this time, saying no such request has been submitted and that clemency “is not currently on the table”.
Trump’s intervention marks a significant show of support for Netanyahu amid his legal troubles, although it remains unclear what practical influence, if any, the former US leader or Washington could exert over the Israeli judicial process.
The statement came just a day after Trump issued a rare criticism of Israel’s military action following a ceasefire agreement with Iran.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “Israel, as soon as we made the deal, they came out and they dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before. The biggest load that we’ve seen. I’m not happy with Israel.”
Commenting further on the decades-long hostility between the two nations, he added, “Iran and Israel have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
Trump’s use of the term “witch-hunt” echoes language he has repeatedly used in reference to his own legal challenges in the United States. – June 26, 2025