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US President Donald Trump has urged Israel to either "pardon" or drop the corruption case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial. In a social media post, Trump also claimed the US had "saved" Israel and would now also "save" Netanyahu. Netanyahu denies charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, and has been on trial since 2020.
Netanyahu wrote his own post thanking Trump "for your moving support for me and your tremendous support for Israel".
Israel's main opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised Trump's statement, saying he should not "intervene in a legal process of an independent state".
Trump's post comes days after he rebuked Israel for attacking Iran after he had announced a ceasefire deal between the two following a 12-day exchange of missiles.
Netanyahu has repeatedly praised Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities on Sunday, calling it a "bold" move.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump described his long-time ally as a "great hero, who has done so much" for Israel, and a "warrior". He said Netanyahu's trial should be "cancelled immediately" or he should be given a pardon, adding that he learned Netanyahu was due to appear in court on Monday. Netanyahu has appeared in court multiple times since the trial started.
Trump described the case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt" - a term he repeatedly used to describe investigations into his own alleged wrongdoing in the US, adding: "This travesty of 'justice cannot be allowed!"
But Yair Lapid suggested the attempted intervention might be part of a calculated move by Trump.
"I hope and suppose that this is a reward [Trump] is giving [Netanyahu] because he is planning to pressure him on Gaza and force him into a hostage deal that will end the war," Yair Lapid told Israeli news website Ynet.
