Ben-Gvir urges Trump to intervene to end Netanyahu corruption trial

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday called on US President Donald Trump to intervene to end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, describing the proceedings as “madness”.

Ben-Gvir made the remarks outside the Tel Aviv District Court, where Netanyahu is standing trial on corruption charges. In a video posted to his Telegram channel, the far-right minister said it was “insane” for Netanyahu to attend meetings late into the night and then prepare to appear in court.

“This is madness, this is not normal,” Ben-Gvir said, adding: “I hope President Trump will put an end to this farce.”

Netanyahu earlier appeared before the court for the 75th time to respond to the allegations. The Israeli premier is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases widely known as Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000.

Trump has repeatedly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, including during a speech to the Knesset in October 2025 and in a letter to Herzog the following month. His comments sparked criticism in Israel over what opponents described as interference in the country’s judicial process.

On 30th November, Netanyahu submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon without admitting guilt or stepping down from political life. Herzog said last week, during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, that any pardon request must proceed through specific legal procedures.

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