Topline
President Donald Trump on Wednesday night urged the Israeli state to either drop an ongoing corruption trial against the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or offer him a pardon, as he heaped praise on the Israeli leader just a day after he sharply rebuked his administration for launching aerial strikes on Iran after a ceasefire went into effect.
President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive for a news conference … More
Key Facts
Netanyahu was indicted on criminal charges of “bribery, fraud and breach of trust” in 2019, and the case first went to trial in 2020—although the prime minster has denied any wrongdoing.
In his post, Trump praised the Israeli prime minister for striking Iran’s nuclear program, saying: “Bibi Netanyahu was a WARRIOR, like perhaps no other Warrior in the History of Israel, and the result was something that nobody thought was possible.”
The president said he just learned that Netanyahu has been “summoned to Court on Monday for the continuation of this long-running…politically motivated case.”
Trump then said: “Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State.”
Who Could Potentially Pardon Netanyahu?
The only person who has the power to pardon Netanyahu in the corruption case is the country’s president, Isaac Herzog. According to Reuters, Herzog told Israeli media a pardon was “not currently on the table,” and that Netanyahu’s defense team had made no such request.
How Have Netanyahu’s Allies Reacted?
Simcha Rothman, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, tweeted: “At the core of the matter, it is clear that Trump is right. The handling of Netanyahu’s cases turns Israel’s image from a regional and global powerhouse into a banana republic,” and said the Israeli president can “stop this foolish saga in the most elegant way.” However, Rothman noted that “it is not the role of the President of the United States to intervene in legal proceedings in the State of Israel.” Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who is also a Likud member, reshared Trump’s post and wrote “Every word.”
Crucial Quote
Trump wrote: “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!”
