US President Donald Trump has publicly called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be pardoned from his ongoing corruption trials.
Speaking before the Israeli parliament, Trump dismissed the charges, which allege Netanyahu accepted over $260,000 in luxury gifts like cigars and champagne in exchange for political favors. “Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked, before directly suggesting the Israeli president grant a pardon.
Netanyahu has denied all wrongdoing, and his supporters claim the trials are politically motivated. The Israeli president had previously hinted he might consider a pardon, stating the case “weighs heavily on Israeli society.”
Trump, who has faced his own legal challenges, has frequently defended Netanyahu, previously calling the investigations a “political witch hunt” similar to his own.
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