Donald Trump issued a fervent appeal for Israel to dismiss its corruption charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasizing the trials they’ve endured together.
Netanyahu becomes the first Israeli prime minister to serve as a criminal defendant, accused of accepting expensive gifts like cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in return for favors concerning personal and business matters.
Trump wrote a lengthy post to Truth Social defending Netanyahu in the wake of one of Israel’s ‘greatest moments in history.’
“BREAKING NEWS… I was stunned to learn that the State of Israel, which just experienced one of its greatest historical achievements, is persistently pursuing a baseless witch hunt against its exemplary war-time Prime Minister, Bibi Netanyahu!”
‘Bibi and I just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land.’
He then lengthily described how he and Netanyahu worked together over the Israel-Iran war in recent weeks.
‘Despite all of this, I just learned that Bibi has been summoned to Court on Monday for the continuation of this long running, (He has been going through this ‘Horror Show’ since May of 2020 – Unheard of! This is the first time a sitting Israeli Prime Minister has ever been on trial.), politically motivated case, ‘concerning cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll, and numerous other unfair charges’ in order to do him great harm.’
Trump repeated a familiar refrain from his own experiences with the law, calling the Netanyahu case a witch hunt.
Donald Trump sent out a strong call for Israel to cancel its corruption case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the president said they ‘went through HELL together’
Netanyahu (pictured right) is the first Israeli prime minister will take the stand as a criminal defendant, over charges of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests
‘Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me. He deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State.’
‘Perhaps there is no one that I know who could have worked in better harmony with the President of the United States, ME, than Bibi Netanyahu. 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. THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!’
Netanyahu will answer during his court appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
He is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests.
He is also accused of promoting advantageous regulation for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of himself and his family.
Netanyahu, 75, denies wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system out to topple his lengthy rule. His testimony caps years of scandals that have swirled around him and his family.
‘Eight years I’ve waited for this day. Eight years I have waited to present the truth. Eight years I am waiting to knock down once and for all these deluded and absurd charges against me,’ Netanyahu said defiantly on the eve of his testimony.
‘These investigations were born of sin. There was no offense, so they found an offense,’ he added.
Netanyahu’s supporters view the charges as the result of the justice system’s bias and overreach.
Under Israeli law, indicted prime ministers are not required to step down.
But the charges against Netanyahu cleaved deep divisions in Israel, with protesters demanding he resign and former political allies refusing to serve in government with the Israeli leader, triggering a political crisis that led to five elections in less than four years beginning in 2019.
Despite the pressure, the polarizing Netanyahu has rejected calls to step down and has used his position as prime minister to lash out at law enforcement, media and courts.
The testimony, set to take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up a significant chunk of Netanyahu’s working hours.
This has prompted critics to ask if he can capably manage a country embroiled in a war on one front, containing the fallout from a second, and keeping tabs on other potential regional threats, including from Iran or the recent fall of Bashar Assad in Syria.
An Israeli court rejected a request by Netanyahu’s lawyers to reduce the expected testimony hours, as well as several other requests to delay the start of the testimony, which they said were necessary because of the prime minister’s busy schedule and the country’s significant challenges.
