TEL AVIV: US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee publicly supported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after attending his corruption trial, echoing former President Donald Trump’s description of the case as a “witch hunt.”
Netanyahu has consistently denied wrongdoing, while his allies argue the trial is politically driven.
Huckabee attended the proceedings and later posted on social media, stating, “I stopped by the trial of [Netanyahu] in Tel Aviv today. My conclusion? [Trump] is right… again.”
His post linked to Trump’s earlier statement on Truth Social, where the former president compared Netanyahu’s legal troubles to his own, calling it a “political witch hunt.”
Trump has frequently accused opponents of weaponising the justice system against him.
In May 2024, he was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments.
He also faces federal cases tied to alleged election interference.
Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting luxury gifts worth over $260,000 from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
In separate cases, he allegedly sought favorable media coverage from Israeli outlets.
Since returning to power in late 2022, Netanyahu’s government has pursued judicial reforms critics say weaken the courts, sparking mass protests before the Gaza war shifted public focus. – AFP
