Trump says ‘not going to stand' for Netanyahu's continued prosecution
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he leaves the West Wing of the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was 'not going to stand' for the continued prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges.
'The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this,' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
An Israeli court on Friday rejected Netanyahu's request to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial, ruling that he had not provided adequate justification for his request.
In one case, Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and has thanked Trump for his support in Israel's war with Iran, which saw a ceasefire agreement earlier this week.
His lawyer had asked the court to excuse the leader from hearings over the next two weeks, saying he needs to concentrate on 'security issues.'
Trump on Wednesday sprung to Netanyahu's defense, describing the case against him as a 'witch hunt.'
On Saturday, he described Netanyahu as a 'War Hero' and said the case would distract the prime minister from negotiations with Iran and with Hamas, the Gaza-based Palestinian armed group that Israel is at war with.
'This travesty of 'Justice' will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations,' said Trump, although it was unclear what negotiations he was referring to with regards to Iran.
Hamas took 251 hostages during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with 49 still believed to be held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Negotiations are ongoing for the return of the remaining hostages and the bodies of those killed, while Israel's punishing war on Gaza continues unabated.
The US leader also likened Netanyahu's legal troubles to his own before he took office for his second term.
'It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure,' said Trump.
The Republican was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May 2024 in a case related to hush money payments to a porn star.
Trump also faced two federal cases, one related to his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Canada, Europeans and Brazil, not U.S., issue statement backing LGBTQ rights
FILE - Participants carry a pride flag as they walk in the Toronto Pride Parade, on Sunday June 25, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young WASHINGTON — The foreign ministries of Canada, Australia, Brazil and a host of European countries issued a statement on Saturday celebrating LGBTQ rights to coincide with Pride Day. The United States, which has moved rapidly to dismantle civil rights protections since the election of President Donald Trump, was not among its signatories. The statement, whose backers also include Spain, Belgium, Colombia, Ireland and other nations, said the countries 'are speaking and acting as one to champion the rights of LGBTQI people,' using the abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people. 'At a time when hate speech and hate crimes are on the rise, and in view of efforts to strip LGBTQI people of their rights, we reject all forms of violence, criminalization, stigmatization or discrimination, which constitute human rights violations,' the statement said. It was not immediately clear why the United States was absent. Canadian, Australian, Brazilian, Irish and U.S. officials did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the Pride Day statement and Washington's absence from it. The U.S., once a champion of gay rights abroad, has reversed course under Trump, whose administration has rapidly dismantled longstanding civil rights protections for LGBT people and expelled transgender servicemembers from the military. Defenders of gay rights are concerned that the backsliding will embolden anti-gay movements elsewhere, especially in Africa, where it could worsen an already difficult situation for LGBT people. Trump's right-wing allies have tapped in to anti-LGBT sentiment to shore up their political support. In Hungary on Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters flouted a law passed in March by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government that allows for the ban of Pride marches. The demonstrators swarmed Budapest with rainbow-coloured flags in one of the biggest shows of opposition to the Hungarian leader. Reporting by Raphael Satter and Ryan Jones; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and William Mallard
Canada Standard
7 hours ago
- Canada Standard
US terminating trade talks with Canada
The American president has labeled Ottawa's digital services tax an "attack" on the US US President Donald Trump has announced the termination of all trade talks with Canada in light of Ottawa's tax on digital services, which he called a "adirect and blatant attack on our country." Relations between the neighbors began to sour when Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods in February soon after taking office. Ottawa responded with reciprocal tariffs. Trump later temporarily suspended the tariffs, expressing a willingness to negotiate individually favorable terms for US businesses with the countries that he had targeted for tariffs. Trump has long accused Canada of taking unfair advantage of the US and has on several occasions suggested that it should become the 51st US state, arguing that Washington effectively subsidizes Canada's economy. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump stated that "Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with... has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country." "Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately," the US president proclaimed. He added that his government would notify Ottawa of the "Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period." Later on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that his country would "continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians." However, he noted that he had yet to speak with Trump about the issue. Canada's digital services tax, enacted in June 2024, requires companies providing digital services in the country and earning more than CAD 20 million ($14.5 million) in revenue from Canadian sources to pay a 3% tax on their profits. The first payments are due on Monday. According to Canadian media, US tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Airbnb, Google, Meta, and Uber are expected to pay approximately $2 billion by the end of July. The tax is retroactive to January 1, 2022.
Canada Standard
7 hours ago
- Canada Standard
US terminating trade talks with Canada Trump
The American president has labeled Ottawas digital services tax an attack on the US US President Donald Trump has announced the termination of all trade talks with Canada in light of Ottawa's tax on digital services, which he called a "adirect and blatant attack on our country." Relations between the neighbors began to sour when Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods in February soon after taking office. Ottawa responded with reciprocal tariffs. Trump later temporarily suspended the tariffs, expressing a willingness to negotiate individually favorable terms for US businesses with the countries that he had targeted for tariffs. Trump has long accused Canada of taking unfair advantage of the US and has on several occasions suggested that it should become the 51st US state, arguing that Washington effectively subsidizes Canada's economy. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump stated that "Canada, a very difficult Country to TRADE with... has just announced that they are putting a Digital Services Tax on our American Technology Companies, which is a direct and blatant attack on our Country." "Based on this egregious Tax, we are hereby terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada, effective immediately," the US president proclaimed. He added that his government would notify Ottawa of the "Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period." Later on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters that his country would "continue to conduct these complex negotiations in the best interests of Canadians." However, he noted that he had yet to speak with Trump about the issue. Canada's digital services tax, enacted in June 2024, requires companies providing digital services in the country and earning more than CAD 20 million ($14.5 million) in revenue from Canadian sources to pay a 3% tax on their profits. The first payments are due on Monday. According to Canadian media, US tech giants such as Amazon, Apple, Airbnb, Google, Meta, and Uber are expected to pay approximately $2 billion by the end of July. The tax is retroactive to January 1, 2022. In March, Carney described Trump's tariffs as "unjustified" and stated that "Canada will win" the trade war with the US. He vowed that Canada "will never, ever, in any way, shape, or form, be part of the United States." (
