US President Donald Trump has criticized Israeli prosecutors over the corruption trial facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Washington will not tolerate it after he has given billions of dollars in aid to Israel.
“It is crazy to do what prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu unchecked,” Trump wrote on the Social Truth website.
He added that the trial would hinder Netanyahu’s ability to hold talks with Palestinian militants from Hamas and with Iran.
“The United States spends billions of dollars a year protecting and supporting Israel. So they spend far more than they do on any other country. We will not tolerate this,” Trump wrote.
A spokesman for the Israeli Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on Trump’s announcement.
Trump said Netanyahu was currently in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, but did not provide details. On Friday, the Republican president told reporters that he believed a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was close.
Netanyahu was indicted in Israel in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and abuse of office, which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases.
On Friday, a court rejected a request by Netanyahu’s lawyers to postpone his testimony for two weeks due to diplomatic and security concerns following a 12-day standoff between Israel and Iran.
