Despite Trump’s demands, PM Netanyahu's trial unlikely to be ended via Knesset legislation – report

Despite calls from U.S. President Donald Trump and public support from leading coalition members, the corruption trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unlikely to be halted through legislation in the Knesset, the Times of Israel reported.

Amid increasing pressure to end the Gaza War with a broad agreement, Trump has issued two unprecedented calls to end Netanyahu’s trial, which the U.S. president called a “political witch hunt.”

“This travesty of ‘Justice’ will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,” Trump noted in his second post on the issue via Truth Social.

The calls have energized the political debate regarding the trial, with several coalition members calling on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu or find a legislative solution to end the trial.

Knesset Constitution Committee chairman, Simcha Rothman, the main architect of the controversial Judicial Reforms, noted that if Herzog will not put a stop to the trial, “the Knesset can and should do it.”

Kan News reported over the weekend that the coalition is working on several bills to cancel the trial directly or indirectly. Among the reported strategies is the possibility of calling early elections.

Several politicians have discussed potential plea deals for Netanyahu. This also received support from an unexpected source – former Supreme Court president, Aharon Barak.

“I'm in favor of an agreement with Netanyahu. It doesn't matter whether it's a pardon or a plea deal – what matters is that we reach an agreement. It could lead to a de-escalation,” he said on Friday.

However, Kan News reported that there are currently no ongoing negotiations for a plea deal, and Netanyahu is expected to reject any agreement that would prevent him from continuing his political career.

One potential legislative approach could involve removing the offenses of fraud and breach of trust from the criminal code, though such a move is highly unlikely and would still leave the bribery charge in Case 4000 against Netanyahu unresolved.

According to the Times of Israel (TOI), several Likud party lawmakers and coalition leaders say they have no expectation that a legislative effort to halt the trial will succeed, or even be pursued in the near future.

“I am not aware of such efforts and I don’t think the elections will be brought forward,” Likud Knesset Member Ariel Kallner, an alternate member of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, told the TOI.

An unnamed coalition insider was cited as saying that the possibility of legislating a so-called French Law, which would prevent sitting prime ministers from being put on trial, was also dismissed.

“Even if we could get a majority to pass such legislation, you cannot do this retroactively, meaning there’s no legal precedent for a piece of legislation canceling a trial that is ready in progress,” the source explained.

“You would not be able to stop the trial based on any piece of legislation, at least that could get past the legal department in the Knesset – and even if the legal department in the Knesset would allow it to move forward… there’s no way in hell it doesn’t get thrown out by the Supreme Court on Day one.”