Trump has intervened in Israeli politics, demanding Netanyahu’s pardon as he reportedly pushes for a Gaza ceasefire deal.
US President Donald Trump has called on Israel to cancel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial or issue a pardon, while simultaneously pressuring the Israeli leader to agree to a long-term ceasefire deal with the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas.
“Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel),” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
“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.”
Netanyahu is currently on trial in three criminal cases dating back to his 2019 indictment on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and dismissed the legal proceedings as a “witch hunt”—a term frequently used by Trump to describe his own legal troubles in the US.
Trump’s intervention sparked criticism within Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid told Ynet News that Trump should stay out of internal affairs: “With all due respect and gratitude to the president of the United States, he’s not supposed to intervene in a legal process of an independent state.”
Lapid suggested the move may be part of a broader political strategy. “I hope and suppose that this is a reward he is giving him because he is planning to pressure him on Gaza and force him into a hostage deal that will end the war.”
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Indeed, Trump is reportedly seeking to persuade Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas following the recent truce that ended a 12-day military confrontation between Israel and Iran. A source familiar with the negotiations told Newsweek that “an agreement is very possible,” and that Trump “is working very hard on convincing the Israelis that the time is right, now that they have finished with the issue of Iran.”
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trump is pushing for more than a temporary truce. “The president is clearly interested not just in a mere 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas,” they said. “He’s hoping that those 60 days would lead to a resolution, the release of all the hostages and permanent ceasefire that could lead to negotiations over the future of an Israel-Palestine peace agreement.”
While the White House has not officially commented on the developments, Trump’s remarks suggest a growing convergence of his personal support for Netanyahu and his desire to shape the post-Iran war regional order—including a potential diplomatic track in Gaza.
Despite Trump’s optimistic tone, there is little sign of progress in the stalled talks between Hamas and Israel. A spokesperson for US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated that no further information was available beyond the president’s remarks.
Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that Netanyahu convened a limited security meeting to assess the war in Gaza and ongoing efforts to recover Israeli captives. Another meeting is scheduled for Saturday.
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The main sticking point, however, remains Hamas’ demand for a complete halt to the genocidal war—something Israeli officials have so far refused to concede.
Meanwhile, a new poll published by the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv found that 59% of Israelis support ending the war and reaching a deal to secure the return of captives, in exchange for a cessation of hostilities and a withdrawal from Gaza.
Only 34% favor continuing the war in the hope that military pressure will yield results. The survey also showed that nearly half of Israelis—48%—believe the war is being prolonged due to political motivations, while 37% attribute it to security concerns.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—backed by the United States—has waged a relentless war on Gaza. The death toll has reached nearly 189,000 Palestinians killed or wounded, the majority of them women and children. More than 14,000 remain missing, while mass displacement and the destruction of civilian infrastructure have created an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
(PC, AJA)
A scumbag sticking up for a scumbag. And after they drop the charges and there’s a
” cease-fire ” ??? right back to the baby killing, starving hundreds of thousands of people, firing upon those who seek aid…
Nah, he should stand trial and he should be in jail for the rest of his life. But he’ll call the judge and prosecuters antisemites for going against the grain, and the first rule in Nazi politics. If you’re Jewish you get away with anything you want. Just look at the, AT LEAST, 160,000 Jews in the German Nazi Party.
Trump and Netanyahu, birds of the same dirty feathers.