The Media Line: Trump Demands Israel End Netanyahu’s Trial, Calls It a ‘Travesty of Justice’ 

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Trump Demands Israel End Netanyahu’s Trial, Calls It a ‘Travesty of Justice’ 

By The Media Line Staff 

US President Donald Trump on Thursday publicly called for Israel to cancel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial or grant him a pardon, describing the legal proceedings as a “ridiculous Witch Hunt” and a “travesty of justice.” 

Especially after the joint Israeli-US military operation against Iran, Trump wrote, the accusations against the prime minister ought to be put aside. “We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel,” he wrote on Truth Social, praising Netanyahu as a “WARRIOR” whose leadership helped carry out the mission successfully. “Anybody else would have suffered losses, embarrassment, and chaos!” 

Netanyahu, on trial since 2020, faces charges in three criminal cases. In Case 1000, he is accused of accepting gifts worth about $200,000 from businessmen including Arnon Milchan. In Case 2000, he allegedly sought favorable coverage from the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth in exchange for legislation harming its competitor. Case 4000 involves charges of bribery and regulatory favoritism toward telecom giant Bezeq in return for positive news coverage from the Walla site. 

Netanyahu denies wrongdoing, claiming the cases are politically motivated. 

While Netanyahu’s Likud party shared Trump’s post, the prime minister himself has not commented directly.  

Israeli politicians both allied with and opposed to Netanyahu have criticized President Trump for intervening in Israel’s internal judicial process. While agreeing with Trump’s analysis that Netanyahu ought to be pardoned, Simcha Rothman, chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, wrote, “It is not the role of the president of the United States to intervene in legal proceedings in the state of Israel.”