Overview

• President Trump called on Truth Social for the trial to be “cancelled immediately” or for a pardon to be issued, praising Netanyahu’s wartime leadership against Iran.
• Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust over allegations he accepted cigars, champagne and other gifts in exchange for regulatory favors and favorable media coverage.
• The trial has been delayed repeatedly since its May 2020 start and is not expected to reach a verdict before 2026, with appeals likely to follow.
• Opposition leaders such as Yair Lapid condemned Trump’s demand as improper interference in an independent nation’s legal system.
• Observers warn the move marks a historic US intrusion into an ally’s judiciary and could complicate future US-Israel relations.