Netanyahu Thanks Trump for Support in Trial Controversy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly thanked former U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday after Trump called for the immediate cancellation of Netanyahu’s ongoing criminal trial, labeling it a “witch hunt.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu expressed his appreciation and emphasized future collaboration with Trump to defeat common enemies, free Israeli hostages, and “expand the circle of peace.”

Trump’s fiery remarks on Truth Social earlier in the day, in which he praised Netanyahu as a “great hero” and demanded the trial be scrapped, sparked a wave of support from Israel’s political right. His post reverberated across the Israeli political spectrum and added international weight to Netanyahu’s longstanding claims that the charges against him are politically motivated.

Culture and Sport Minister Miki Zohar described the trial as “perhaps the worst thing that has happened to Israel in recent years.” Although he later clarified his comments were taken out of context, Zohar stood firm on his belief that the legal proceedings have fractured Israeli unity. “It’s time to put an end to the unimaginable injustice and personal persecution against him,” he wrote on X.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir echoed Trump’s rhetoric, calling the case an absurd fabrication of the “deep state” and urged for sweeping judicial reform. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also voiced his support, posting, “This performative display has long cost us the security of the state.”

Constitution Committee Chairman Simcha Rothman, while noting that Trump should not intervene in Israeli internal affairs, called on President Isaac Herzog to issue a pardon, stating the ongoing trial risks turning Israel “into a banana republic.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid offered a different perspective, warning against foreign involvement in domestic legal matters. He suggested Trump’s support might be strategic, aimed at leveraging Netanyahu for future political goals, especially concerning the Gaza conflict.

Even within the government, voices such as Social Equality Minister May Golan passionately defended Netanyahu. In a lengthy post, she criticized what she called a disgraceful campaign against the prime minister. “He is a leader, brave, a patriot, who was democratically elected time and time again,” she wrote, blaming the left for trying to remove him by legal means.

Likud MK Ofir Katz derided the trial as a “Bugs Bunny trial,” arguing that it is detached from reality and undermines the state’s ability to move forward.

In contrast, Labor MK Gilad Kariv offered a measured response, thanking Trump for his support of Israel’s security but affirming a core democratic value: “Jewish tradition teaches us that no person is above the law. Not even a prime minister.”

As the legal battle continues, Netanyahu remains defiant, buoyed by strong political and public support and a renewed endorsement from a former American president. For many in Israel, the trial has become a lightning rod symbolizing either the erosion of justice or its steadfast preservation.

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