President Trump called for the corruption trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be canceled or for him to be pardoned.
“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,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
He said he was “shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!” he said.
Mr. Netanyahu faces accusations of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three cases, in which he has denied wrongdoing, reported The Associated Press.
Prosecutors say Mr. Netanyahu exchanged favors for favorable media coverage, giving benefits to media tycoons in exchange for gifts, like tens of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars.
The trial has been running since May 2020.
“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,” Mr. Trump posted. “Anybody else would have suffered losses, embarrassment, and chaos!”
He called the Israeli leader a “WARRIOR, like perhaps no other Warrior in the History of Israel.”
“We were fighting, literally, for the Survival of Israel, and there is nobody in Israel’s History that fought harder or more competently than Bibi Netanyahu,” he said.
“Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me,” the president said. “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.”
Mr. Trump’s comments came a day after he criticized Israel and Iran for violating their ceasefire deal.
Two weeks before that, Israel bombed Iran over Iran’s unwillingness to give up its nuclear program.
“I think they both violated it,” Mr. Trump said of the recent strikes. “I’m not sure they did it intentionally. They couldn’t rein people back. I don’t like the fact that Israel went out this morning at all, and I’m going to see if I can stop it,” he told reporters Tuesday before departing for the NATO summit at The Hague.
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f—- they’re doing. Do you understand that?” he said.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.