President Trump calls for canceling PM Netanyahu’s ‘witch hunt’ corruption trial or to pardon ‘a great hero’
Opposition leader Lapid: ‘We’re grateful but don’t interfere in legal process’
In a highly unusual call to cancel a running legal process in another country, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded an end to the ongoing corruption trial against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a long post on Truth Social on Wednesday.
Netanyahu thanked Trump on Thursday for his "moving support for me," vowing they would "continue to work together to defeat our common enemies, to free our hostages, and to rapidly expand the circle of peace.”
Trump had written that he was “shocked to hear” that Israel, despite having “one of its greatest moments in history,” is continuing its “ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time 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… We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel,” Trump said.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump calls for Israeli PM Netanyahu’s trial on Monday to be canceled:
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 25, 2025
“Witch hunt. He deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel.”
“Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be canceled, immediately, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.” pic.twitter.com/pteyDPXrgE
The president described the corruption trial as “this long-running, politically motivated case – concerning cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll, and numerous other unfair charges – meant to do him great harm.” He added, “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.”
The president concluded: “Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State… 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!”
Reactions by politicians in Netanyahu’s coalition ranged from cautious optimism to enthusiastic support, while opposition leaders took their time responding and struck a cautious tone, apparently wary of angering Trump.
According to Israel Hayom, citing sources within the coalition, Trump is considering officially asking President Isaac Herzog to cancel Netanyahu’s trial.
In a first response, Herzog said he believes that Netanyahu’s trial should come to an end through a mutually agreed-upon plea deal, while emphasizing that Israel is a sovereign and democratic state governed by the rule of law.
Simcha Rotman, the main architect of the controversial Judicial Reforms, noted that “The Israeli judicial system has many flaws, and the Netanyahu trial is perhaps a prime example of the accumulation of such flaws.”
“It is not the role” of a U.S. president to “intervene in judicial proceedings,” Rotman wrote in a detailed statement, but added, “It is very much the role of the President of the State of Israel, who can put an end to this foolish saga in the most elegant way.”
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who in the past served as justice minister and has long advocated reforms to Israel’s judicial systems, said that as Netanyahu was focused on preparing the Iran campaign, “the prosecution was busy preparing the cross-examination of the Prime Minister.”
For months, Netanyahu “was required to appear daily and give testimony in a ‘trial’ that lost all meaning long ago,” Sa’ar wrote, harshly criticizing several aspects of the process.
“Over two years ago, while I was still in the opposition, I called to end this saga through a mutually agreed plea deal… The Prime Minister, who is managing this historic campaign around the clock with devotion, has had to continue simultaneously dealing with his trial.”
Sa’ar further argued that the Attorney General could have “long ago” used her legal authority to suspend proceedings. “So when the President of the United States calls for the trial to be canceled or for a pardon – can anyone honestly say he’s wrong?”
More enthusiastic support for Trump’s demand came from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Coalition Chairman Ofir Katz, and Sports Minister Miki Zohar.
הנשיא טראמפ צודק – הגיע הזמן לבטל את המשפט!
— Miki Zohar מיקי זוהר (@zoharm7) June 26, 2025
נשיא המעצמה הגדולה בעולם, וחבר אמת של העם היהודי, דונלד טראמפ, מבטא בקול את מה שרבים מאזרחי ישראל חשים בליבם – דווקא ובמיוחד בעיצומם של ימים היסטוריים בתולדות המדינה.
מורשתו של ראש הממשלה בנימין נתניהו תיחקק בדברי הימים כמי שהציל את… pic.twitter.com/VlNn3qiHHv
On the other side of Israel’s political divide, opposition leader and Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid noted that the whole country has “gratitude for President Trump” and his decision to target the Iranian nuclear program.
“But as Simcha Rotman said - the president should not interfere in a legal process in an independent country. I assume this is compensation he is giving [Netanyahu] because [Trump] is going to bend him on the Gaza issue. To end the war,” Lapid speculated.
Democrats lawmaker Naama Lazimi accused Netanyahu of “recruiting” Trump to end the trial.
“If there’s anything that shows us how an entire country is held hostage by a criminal defendant – it’s Trump’s announcement. Netanyahu, release Israel’s democratic system from your stranglehold. The corruption of one man cannot destroy all of Israeli society. Enough,” she wrote on 𝕏.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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