The Times of Israel reports:

Pro-democracy activists, legal scholars, and non-governmental organizations on Thursday strongly criticized US President Donald Trump’s call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial to be canceled, with some accusing the prime minister of actively having sought Trump’s intervention.

And even the head of Republicans Overseas Israel rebuked the president for setting a precedent of US interference in Israel’s internal legal processes.

Netanyahu’s criminal trial began in 2020. He is charged with the crime of fraud and breach of trust in three cases, as well as with accepting a bribe in the form of positive media coverage in one of those cases.

In a long post on Truth Social on Wednesday night, Trump lauded Netanyahu’s leadership during the recent war with Iran and the strength of the partnership between the two men. He then called for Netanyahu’s trial to either be canceled or for him to be given a pardon, adding that the trial itself was a “WITCH HUNT.”

“It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu,” declared Trump in his post.

Prof. Adam Shinar of the Harry Radzyner Law School at Reichman University, described Trump’s comments as “unprecedented” in terms of a US president “intervening in purely domestic matters” in Israel. [Continue reading…]