Washington DC : US President Donald Trump has called for the "immediate" cancellation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial, denouncing the proceedings as a politically motivated "witch hunt" by the Israeli judiciary, noting that it will be the US that will 'save' Israeli PM.
In a post on Truth Social on Wednesday (local time), the US President expressed his shock over the continuation of the trial against Netanyahu, despite what he described as one of Israel's "greatest moments in history" referring to the recent Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear and military infrastructure.
"BREAKING NEWS... I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel...is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great wartime Prime Minister! 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," Trump wrote, hailing Netanyahu as a "warrior" for his leadership during the recent military campaign.
He also credited the Israeli PM's leadership for what he claimed was a "complete elimination" of Iran's near-term nuclear weapons capability. "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, a complete elimination of potentially one of the biggest and most powerful Nuclear Weapons anywhere in the World, and it was going to happen, SOON!" Trump added.
According to Trump, the charges against Netanyahu, which include bribery and fraud in multiple cases, are politically motivated and based on trivial allegations, including "cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll, and numerous other unfair charges".
He characterised the case as a "horror show" that has dragged on since 2020, making Netanyahu the first sitting Israeli Prime Minister ever to face trial while in office, as per Anadolu Agency. "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.
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," Trump declared.
"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!" he added.
Israeli PM Netanyahu is currently on trial for three separate alleged corruption charges, known as Case 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000, involving allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, as reported by Anadolu Agency.
However, Netanyahu had consistently denied all accusations, dismissing them as "fake". His trial, which began in May 2020, marks the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has taken the stand as a criminal defendant and under Israeli law, Netanyahu is not obligated to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, Anadolu Agency reported.
In addition to that, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague had also issued arrest warrants against the Israeli PM, accusing him of "crimes against humanity and war crimes". The charges include allegations of targeting civilians and enforcing policies of starvation in Gaza.