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United States President Donald Trump (R) hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) in the White House in Washington DC., United States on February 04, 2025. [Avi Ohayon (GPO) /Handout – Anadolu Agency]
The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the comments made by Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday evening were intended to convince US President Donald Trump that he is being persecuted during his trial, in order to push Trump to increase his efforts to grant him a pardon.
On Thursday evening, Netanyahu posted a video on his page on the platform X, speaking in English and claiming that his trial is political, began six years ago, and could continue for another four years.
In the video, he said: “It’s a political trial. They [the prosecutors] are not interested in justice; they are interested in getting me out of office.”
Netanyahu also tried to explain the reasons for his trial, claiming that the investigators told him they were looking into a suspicion of corruption related to two incidents. The first is that his son received a Bugs Bunny toy as a gift 29 years ago, and the second is that he accepted a cigar as a gift from a friend.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, political sources said that “Netanyahu’s statements in English aim”to convince the American public that he is being persecuted.”
The paper added that Netanyahu is trying to “shape public opinion in the US and pressure President Trump to increase his actions” to grant him a pardon.
Commenting on this, Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White Party, said that Netanyahu is placing his personal interest above the interest of the country.
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Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves discuss wasting money including David Lammy spending £1MILLION on private jets.
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Israeli soldiers organize military equipment while standing on armored personnel carriers near the border with the Gaza Strip on August 6, 2025 in Southern Israel, Israel. [Amir Levy/Getty Images]
Four Israeli soldiers were injured in clashes with Hamas fighters in Rafah the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the army said, Anadolu reports.
A military statement said that one of the soldiers was severely wounded, while three others sustained moderate injuries in eastern Rafah.
Channel 14 said that clashes erupted after three Palestinian fighters allegedly emerged from a tunnel in Rafah and fired anti-tank rockets at Israeli forces.
Israeli forces responded with fire from helicopters, with two fighters killed in direct fire, while a third Palestinian allegedly attached an explosive device to an Israeli armored vehicle before fleeing back into the tunnel, the channel said.
The public broadcaster KAN said an Israeli helicopter attacked the area to which the third Palestinian fled.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas on the reports.
According to Israeli media reports, there are around 200 Hamas fighters who are trapped inside underground tunnels in Rafah, and Tel Aviv has not yet responded to demands by Hamas and mediators to allow them safe passage to areas under the group’s control.
Separately, the Israeli army claimed that it had killed more than 40 Palestinian fighters over the past week in operations targeting tunnels in the area under its control in Rafah.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call to clarify the crisis of the fighters trapped inside the Rafah tunnels.
According to Channel 12, Washington has attempted to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas in recent weeks to let the fighters surrender in exchange for amnesty and a “safe corridor” to an area under Hamas control or to a third country.
“The US administration viewed this as a potential model for disarming Hamas, and it did not appreciate Israel’s refusal to cooperate with this approach,” it added.
A fragile ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Oct. 10, mediated by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, backed by the US.
Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.
Israel has killed more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, and injured nearly 171,000 others in attacks in Gaza since October 2023.
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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer justifies why he has to travel abroad so much
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Police officers detain protesters during the “Lift the Ban” demonstration organized by the civil action and campaign group Defend Our Juries ahead of a judicial review into the decision to designate the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organization at Tavistock Square in London, United Kingdom, on November 22, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]
At least 90 protesters were arrested at a London demonstration in support of the banned activist group, Palestine Action, police said Saturday, Anadolu reports.
The arrests as of 1800GMT are in relation to the protest organized by Defend Our Juries in support of the “proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action,” Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
It added that the protest concluded and those involved have left the area.
Protesters gathered in Tavistock Square, where demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and signs while chanting pro-Palestine slogans.
Some of the banners read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”
The Defend Our Juries group wrote on the US social media platform X that police instantly started arresting protestors for silently holding signs that it said opposed genocide and the Palestine Action ban.
“Today’s protest is happening in Tavistock Square, London — known as the peace gardens with anti-war memorials. Lift the ban,” it added.
Palestine Action was banned in July under the UK’s Terrorism Act, a decision that has led to the arrests of hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters for holding signs or showing support for the group.
The new protests come ahead of and during the judicial review set to be heard from Nov. 25 to 27, which may see Palestine Action’s proscription as a terror organization overturned.
Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 70,000 victims in Gaza, primarily women and children, injured more than 170,800, and reduced the enclave to rubble. The onslaught came to a halt under a ceasefire deal that took effect Oct. 10.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspeding 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem on December 9, 2024. [Photo by MAYA ALLERUZZO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that his government remains firmly opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, issuing the clarification amid intense criticism from far-right parties in his ruling coalition. The backlash followed a US-backed statement at the United Nations referencing a potential path towards Palestinian statehood.
The dispute erupted after the United States and several Muslim-majority countries endorsed a UN resolution supporting former US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the genocide in Gaza. The resolution includes language implying the possibility of an independent Palestinian state, provided that the Palestinian Authority undergoes significant reforms.
The clause triggered outrage among Israel’s far-right leadership, who had already voiced opposition to the Trump-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.
The political fallout now threatens the stability of Netanyahu’s coalition. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—both influential far-right figures—demanded that Netanyahu explicitly reject any reference to Palestinian statehood. Ben-Gvir warned he would withdraw his party from the government if Netanyahu failed to issue a clear, unequivocal statement.
“Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory remains unchanged. Gaza will be demilitarised, and Hamas will be disarmed, one way or another. I don’t need assurances, tweets or lectures from anyone,” Netanyahu responded defiantly.
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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Vote Labour for Genocide.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. [Photo by Evelyn Hockstein – Pool/Getty Images]
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has received a letter from his American counterpart, Donald Trump, demanding a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial, Anadolu reports.
Herzog’s office shared the picture of a letter signed by Trump, in which the US leader called on the Israeli president “to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive wartime prime minister.”
“While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System and its requirements, I believe that this ‘case’ against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution,” Trump said.
In response, Herzog’s office said anyone seeking a presidential pardon “must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.”
There was no immediate confirmation from the White House on the Israeli statement.
According to Israeli law, the president holds the authority to pardon criminals or commute their sentences based on necessary information or opinions from relevant authorities, such as the ministers of justice or defense.
However, the law obliges criminals to admit guilt to be pardoned by presidential decree.
Netanyahu refuses to admit to any of the charges against him.
“Israeli law states that the first condition for receiving a pardon is admission of guilt and expressing remorse for one’s actions,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said on US social media company X, commenting on Trump’s letter.
Trump has repeatedly called on the Israeli president to grant Netanyahu a pardon several times, including during his speech at the Knesset last month.
Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country’s history.
In January, Netanyahu began interrogation sessions related to corruption charges in cases designated 1000, 2000 and 4000, all of which he denies.
The Israeli premier also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where over 69,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.
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Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAKeir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
