
Netanyahu Reacts To Trump's Demands To Israel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he was "deeply moved" by Donald Trump's support after the president demanded that Israel drop its ongoing legal case against its prime minister.
"I was deeply moved by your heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people," Netanyahu said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. "I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace."
On Wednesday evening, Trump said on Truth Social he was "shocked" to hear that Israel was continuing its trial of Netanyahu, which he branded "politically motivated" and a "Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime
The Israeli leader faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases. Netanyahu, who has denied all allegations, is due to return to court on Monday.
This is a breaking news story, more updates to follow.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News24
an hour ago
- News24
‘We are not going to stand for this': Trump demands Israel drops ‘witch hunt' case against Netanyahu
Donald Trump demanded that Israel drop its corruption case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump hinted that the US would tie the case to US aid to Israel. Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting more than $260 000 worth of luxury goods in exchange for political favours. US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at prosecutors in Israel over the corruption trial that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced, saying Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to 'stand for this'. Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. 'It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,' Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that the judicial process was going to interfere with Netanyahu's ability to conduct talks with Palestinian militants Hamas, and Iran. Trump's second post over the course of a few days defending Netanyahu and calling for the cancellation of the trial went a step further to tie Israel's legal action to US aid. '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 said. READ | Trump demands Israel pardons 'great hero' Netanyahu, or abandons corruption case against him Netanyahu 'right now' was in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, Trump said, without giving further details. On Friday, the Republican president told reporters that he believed a ceasefire is close. Various sources/AFP Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel says it can only end if Hamas is disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened in the wake of the US and Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. A ceasefire to the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict went into effect early this week. AFP reported that 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, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets. AFP 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 defence, 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 regard to Iran. Yair Palti/Anadolu via Getty Images 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.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Netanyahu seeks to postpone trial summons after Trump backing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be cancelled altogether. Trump's move in support of Netanyahu over the case drew criticism from some Israeli politicians, including a member of the Israeli leader's own coalition and the leader of the opposition. It came days after Trump and Netanyahu declared victory over Iran in a 12-day conflict that saw Israel bombard the Islamic republic and US planes also drop powerful missiles on its nuclear installations. In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Hadad said the premier's testimony should be delayed in light of "regional and global developments". "The court is respectfully requested to order the cancellation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks," the filing said. It said Netanyahu was "compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance" following the conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held. Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt". In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial "should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero", after the end of the war with Iran. Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Trump for his "heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people". "I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace," Netanyahu wrote on X, sharing a copy of Trump's Truth Social post. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet: "We are thankful to President Trump, but... the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country." - Corruption charges - Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the trial, which has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020. In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage in two Israeli media outlets. One of Netanyahu's coalition allies, Simcha Rothman of the far-right Religious Zionism party, also called for Trump to stay out of the court case. "It is not the role of the president of the United States to interfere in legal proceedings in the State of Israel," said Rothman, who chairs the Israeli parliament's judicial affairs committee. Rothman, a vocal critic of what he argues is judicial overreach, however said that "the management of Netanyahu's cases is transforming the image of the State of Israel from a regional and global power into a banana republic." National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, the leader of another far-right party in Netanyahu's coalition, backed Trump's call, branding the trial politically motivated. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was "distorted, unreasonable, contrary to the basic sense of justice" to continue Netanyahu's trial while Israel is at war, also backing Trump's call to drop the charges. During his current term since late 2022, Netanyahu's government has proposed a series of far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts. Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the proceedings, most recently citing the ongoing war in Gaza since April 2023, later in Lebanon and earlier this month in Iran. myl-acc/rlp/dv


Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Marco Rubio on his many roles, plus a chat with Trump's ‘chief Twitter troll'
Marco Rubio on his many roles, plus a chat with Trump's 'chief Twitter troll' | The Conversation lead image