On Saturday, former U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the United States would not “tolerate” ongoing legal proceedings against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump noted, “The United States spends billions of dollars each year, significantly more than any other country, on protecting and supporting Israel, and we will not stand for this.”
An Israeli court on Friday rejected Netanyahu’s request to postpone his testimony in a long-running trial, arguing that the request “does not provide any foundation or detailed justification for canceling the hearings.”
In one case, both Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting luxurious gifts from wealthy individuals valued at over $260,000 in exchange for political favors.
Additionally, Netanyahu faces two other cases related to allegations of attempting to negotiate with two Israeli media outlets for more favorable coverage.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and expressed gratitude to Trump for his support of Israel during its recent conflict with Iran, which concluded with a ceasefire agreement earlier this week.
Through his lawyer, the Prime Minister requested on Thursday to delay his upcoming testimony due to “regional and global developments” following the Israel-Iran war.
On Wednesday, Trump defended Netanyahu, labeling the charges against him as a “witch hunt.”
In his Saturday post, Trump characterized the Israeli Prime Minister as a “war hero” and suggested that the trial could distract him from negotiations concerning Iran and “Hamas.”
Trump stated, “This mockery of ‘justice’ will interfere with negotiations with Iran and ‘Hamas’,” although it was unclear what specific negotiations he was referring to regarding Iran.
The former president drew parallels between Netanyahu’s trial and the legal challenges he faced prior to his bid for a second presidential term.
He remarked, “It’s a political witch hunt, very similar to the witch hunt I was forced to endure.”
Trump has been charged with 34 counts related to falsifying business records in May 2024 over payments made to silence an actress.
Additionally, he is contending with two federal cases, one pertaining to his alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.