Trump suggests billions for Israel at stake over 'war hero' Netanyahu's corruption trial

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Independent

Saturday 28 June 2025 21:59 EDT


President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that billions of dollars of U.S. aid to Israel could be at stake if prosecutors do not drop corruption charges against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump lashed out at Israeli prosecutors in a Truth Social post Saturday evening and said it was “terrible” what was happening to “war hero” Netanyahu, who faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He denies all of the allegations.

While the president did not directly threaten prosecutors, he highlighted that the United States has sent billions of dollars to Israel and said the nation was “not going to stand” for it.

“It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump said. “The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this.” He called Netanyahu’s prosecution a “POLITICAL WITCH HUNT” and compared the case to the “very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure” following the president’s multiple indictments on conspiracy and fraud charges.

Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, having received hundreds of billions of dollars in military and economic support over the last several decades, including billions in additional support for Israel during its war in Gaza.

Read more: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-netanyahu-corruption-trial-israel-b2778949.html

[rampartd]

1. so, we do not support israel unless they allow corruption?

maga is predictable at least.

[mpcamb]

3. Or maybe cede Gaza land to the trump kids...

[Uncle Joe]

11. It could be a good investment per Jared Kushner,

but a corruption trial of Kushner's long time family friend; (that slept in his childhood bed when visiting) and the possible end of an ongoing genocide could complicate the closing of the deal.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Bribery is the only thing the corrupt, orange POS knows.

And he thinks it's foreign policy.

[FredGarvin]

4. Fun Fact

Most MAGA Republicans think Israel is a Christian nation and based on Christian values.

[Ilsa]

6. The ones that live outside of big cities and

Jewish populations freak out when they hear that their beliefs don't include Jesus as son of God, Savior, etc. I heard a Thom Hartmen Show caller, heavy thick southern accent, on the radio one day excitedly and with incredulity ask Rabbi Harold Kushner, "You mean you don't believe Jesus is our lord and savior?"

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Shhh...

No one should tell them that Jesus was a Rabbi!

[Ilsa]

22. Definitely a teacher & a "rabbi rouser"!!

Teachings worth studying and living, even if Jesus' "parentage" is rejected.

[mahina]

27. HA!

Ten points

[Bayard]

21. Jesus wept

[mahina]

26. Wait till they find out Israelis get free healthcare and can have abortions

Dollars are fungible. We don’t pay for the abortions directly, but we do indirectly.

[Ilsa]

5. When was BN ever a war hero?

Last edited Sun Jun 29, 2025, 12:10 PM - Edit history (1)

I know his brother died in the raid on Entebbe in 1976, but that doesn't make Bibi a war hero.

[Lonestarblue]

16. Bibi is a war criminal, not a war hero.

Like Trump, Bibi should have been in jail years ago.

[DavidDvorkin]

33. Actually, he was

This is from Wikipedia:

After graduating from high school in 1967, Netanyahu returned to Israel to enlist in the Israel Defense Forces. He trained as a combat soldier and served for five years in a special forces unit of the IDF, Sayeret Matkal. He took part in numerous cross-border raids during the 1967–70 War of Attrition, including the March 1968 Battle of Karameh, when the IDF attacked Jordan to capture PLO leader Yasser Arafat but were repulsed with heavy casualties.[19][20] He became a team-leader in the unit. He was wounded in combat on multiple occasions.[21] He was involved in many other missions, including the 1968 Israeli raid on Lebanon and the rescue of the hijacked Sabena Flight 571 in May 1972, in which he was shot in the shoulder.[22][23] He was discharged from active service in 1972 but remained in the Sayeret Matkal reserves. Following his discharge, he left to study in the United States but returned in October 1973 to serve in the Yom Kippur War.[24][25] He took part in special forces raids along the Suez Canal against Egyptian forces before leading a commando attack deep inside Syrian territory, the details of which remain classified today.[26]

[Ilsa]

46. Then I must take my comment back.

He was obviously heavily involved in the military and vlassified missions.

[DavidDvorkin]

47. It surprised me, too

I had thought it was only his brother who had been involved in dangerous combat situations.

I wonder what Netanyahu really thinks of Trump and his macho posturing vs. the reality.

[travelingthrulife]

7. Good.

[AloeVera]

30. Yes. No more funds for genocide or wars of aggression...

That kill, maim, dispossess, displace and make into stateless refugees millions of brown people Israel doesn't like and whose lands it covets.

[William Seger]

8. "very similar to the" attempts at accountability "that I was forced to endure"

Just as with our faux-king idiot, there is very little doubt that Netanyahu did the things he is alleged to have done -- there's just the belief that special people like them should be above the law.

[Beastly Boy]

10. So threatning to withhold aid from Israel to exert momentary political leverage is bad.

I agree.

[Uncle Joe]

12. No, threatening to withhold aid from Israel to support corruption of that nation's government is bad. n/t

[Beastly Boy]

14. I agree. So I don't get the "No" in your response.

In fact, I agree that threatening to withhold aid from Israel to gain momentary political leverage of any kind is bad.

[Uncle Joe]

15. That's where we differ

I don't see *rump's actions as "political leverage" so much as almost bribery or extortion depending on your point of view interfering in Israel's legal, or judiciary process.

On the other hand, I do support eliminating offensive arms to Israel because of the ongoing genocide, ethnic cleansing of Gaza and apartheid treatment of the Palestinian People.

I don't truly believe *rump wants the genocide or ethnic cleansing in Gaza to end, his son in law has MBS and other oligarchs' money lined up and ready to invest.

*rump is just trying to stop the legal corruption trial of Netanyahu, that's all this is about.

[wyn borkins]

17. Very Well Stated :: Thank You Uncle Joe (n/t)

[Beastly Boy]

23. What do you thinl political leverage is?

It includes bribery, extortion, and then some. So there is no disagreement there.

But I see where we disagree: you object to political leverage being applied to Israel's internall affairs, but not when it applies to the US foreign policy.I disagree.

I no longer respond to the dog whistles and trigger words being hurled at Israel that have nothing to do with reality. This is pure propaganda, and it is impervious to rational discourse, as I keep being reminded of time and again, so I am going to disregard this nonsense as waste of my time.

What I will do, however, is disagree with you on the principle distinction between cutting aid as an instrument of meddling in internal affairs and cutting aid as an instrument of influencing the conduct of war. To begin with, in the case of Gaza the conduct of war was heavily influenced by the same internal affairs that Trump is trying to influence, including Netanyahu's trial, and I think this is the main reason why the war in Gaza became such a disaster: the internal affairs of Netanyahu's coalition interfered heavily with the IDF ability to achieve its military objectives. So internal politics of Israel and are at the core of the US military aid to Israel no matter how you look at it.

Your premise is to cut aid in order to facilitate Netanyahu's accountability, Trump's premise is to cut aid in order to prevent Netanyahu's accountability. Principally, this distinction is superficial. While there are many other things involved, withholding of military aid has to do with Israel's internal politics.

[Uncle Joe]

24. I make a major distinction between using political leverage to undercut the law and that of promoting it.

Just as I do between using political leverage to promote crime and corruption to that of championing human rights.

U.S. foreign policy most definitely has to do with U.S. internal politics as well.

[sop]

31. Trump also tried to use his "political leverage" to withhold $391M from Ukraine unless they investigated Biden.

That bit of "political leverage" - extorting a foreign country by withholding military aid approved by Congress unless Ukrainian prosecutors investigated his political opponent in the 2020 election - resulted in Trump being impeached. Trump should also be impeached for this attempt at "political leverage."

There's a saying in Israel that Bibi is "as crooked as a corkscrew." So is Donald Trump.

[Uncle Joe]

32. The way I see it,

what we promote pro or con for the world is ultimately what we become.

[Beastly Boy]

34. You will have to be more specific than that.

I am pretty sure that you are referring to Trump and Israeli Law when you refer to "using political leverage to undercut the law"

However, I am nit sure what and who you have in mind when you refer to "that of promoting it". Is it you promoting Israeli law? Is is Israelis promoting Israeli laws? Is it Israelis promoting American law? Unlikely. Is it you promoting the US laws? That's the only possibility that makes any sense, since you have no standing to comment on all others.

So, on the face of it, you are comparing apples to oranges. Trump and undercutting Israeli laws vs you and promoting American laws. Then, which American laws are you promoting when you call for eliminating offensive arms to Israel?

That's a call for undercutting an American law, not promoting it.

[Uncle Joe]

35. It's not complicated, *rump is trying to undercut Israeli law and justice vs

promoting American, and International humanitarian law in stopping the sale of offensive weapons to Israel.

[Beastly Boy]

36. Stopping the sale of offensive weapons to Israel has nothing to do with international law.

It's a specific matter of American law. And as far as American law is concerned, calls to stop military aid to Israel entails violating or making changes to American laws regardless of the motives behind these calls.

[Uncle Joe]

37. It does if you respect the Geneva Conventions or the Leahy Law. n/t

[Beastly Boy]

38. Leahy is an amendment, and not to international law.

And I challenge you to find anything in the Geneva Conventions regarding the military aid by one state to the other.

[Uncle Joe]

39. I said both American and International Law

Overview: Protecting the
Vulnerable in War
International humanitarian law (IHL) is
a set of rules that seek for humanitarian
reasons to limit the effects of armed
conflict. IHL protects persons who are
not or who are no longer participating in
hostilities and it restricts the means and
methods of warfare. IHL is also known
as the law of war and the law of armed
conflict.
A major part of international
humanitarian law is contained in the
four Geneva Conventions of 1949 that
have been adopted by all nations in
the world. The Conventions have been
expanded and supplemented by two
further agreements: the Additional
Protocols of 1977, relating to the
protection of victims of armed conflicts,
and the 2005 Additional Protocol III,
relating to the adoption of an additional
distinctive emblem.

These Conventions provide specific
rules to safeguard combatants, or
members of the armed forces, who
are wounded, sick or shipwrecked,
prisoners of war, and civilians, as well
as medical personnel, military chaplains
and civilian support workers of the
military.

(snip)

https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/International_Services/International_Humanitarian_Law/IHL_SummaryGenevaConv.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoqYZU9GHZnVRyO-hSSwRbc0bbNUstz7r5tIiCNd1RvCS7IOvXSv

+

Experts hail ICJ declaration on illegality of Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as “historic” for Palestinians and international law

(snip)

The landmark ruling of 19 July 2024 declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources. The Court added that Israel's legislation and measures violate the international prohibition on racial segregation and apartheid. The ICJ mandated Israel to end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, provide full reparations to Palestinian victims and facilitate the return of displaced people.

“The advisory opinion reaffirms peremptory norms prohibiting annexation, settlements, racial segregation and apartheid, and should be seen as declaratory in nature and binding on Israel and all States supporting the occupation,” the experts said.

The Court refuted the notion that Palestinian self-determination must be achieved solely through bilateral negotiations with Israel – a requirement that has subjected Palestinians to violence, dispossession and rights violations for 30 years.

“The Court has finally reaffirmed a principle that seemed unclear, even to the United Nations: Freedom from foreign military occupation, racial segregation and apartheid is absolutely non-negotiable,” the experts said.

(snip)

https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/experts-hail-icj-declaration-illegality-israels-presence-occupied

+

Israel Not Complying with World Court Order in Genocide Case

Failing to Ensure Basic Services, Aid

(The Hague, February 26, 2024) – The Israeli government has failed to comply with at least one measure in the legally binding order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in South Africa’s genocide case, Human Rights Watch said today. Citing warnings about “catastrophic conditions” in Gaza, the court ordered Israel on January 26, 2024, to “take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian aid,” and to report back on its compliance to the specific measures “within one month.”

One month later, however, Israel continues to obstruct the provision of basic services and the entry and distribution within Gaza of fuel and lifesaving aid, acts of collective punishment that amount to war crimes and include the use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war. Fewer trucks have entered Gaza and fewer aid missions have been permitted to reach northern Gaza in the several weeks since the ruling than in the weeks preceding it, according to United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

(snip)

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/26/israel-not-complying-world-court-order-genocide-case

+

1. What is the Leahy law?

The term “Leahy law” refers to two statutory provisions prohibiting the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights (GVHR). One statutory provision applies to the State Department and the other applies to the Department of Defense. The State Department Leahy law was made permanent under section 620M of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 22 U.S.C. 2378d. The U.S. government considers torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, and rape under color of law as GVHRs when implementing the Leahy law. Incidents are examined on a fact-specific basis. The State Department Leahy law includes an exception permitting resumption of assistance to a unit if the Secretary of State determines and reports to Congress that the government of the country is taking effective steps to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice.

The DoD Leahy law is similar to the State Leahy law. Since 1999, Congress included the DoD Leahy law in its annual appropriations act. The DoD Leahy law is now permanent in Section 362 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code. It requires that DoD-appropriated funds may not be used for any training, equipment, or other assistance for a foreign security force unit if the Secretary of Defense has credible information that such unit has committed a GVHR. The law allows for two exceptions to this restriction. The first in cases where the Secretary of Defense (after consultation with the Secretary of State) determines that the government of that country has taken all necessary corrective steps. This first exception is also known as “remediation.” A second exception exists if U.S. equipment or other assistance is necessary to assist in disaster relief operations or other humanitarian or national security emergencies.

(snip)

https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-democracy-human-rights-and-labor/releases/2025/01/leahy-law-fact-sheet

[Beastly Boy]

40. Thanks for the references.

If you read what you posted, you should now be aware that there is nothing in the Geneva Conventions that governs military aid from one state to another.

And if you read the part of the Leahy Law, presumably bolded by you, stating that it refers to "two statutory provisions prohibiting the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights (GVHR)", you should be aware that it does not pertain to the entirety of US military assistance to a state, but to units of foreign security forces.

Like the Geneva Conventions, Leahy Law does not refer to wholesale prohibition to provide general military assistance to a state.

[Uncle Joe]

41. The Geneva Conventions sets the guidelines for humanitarian law which Netanyahu's government is violating

The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel's occupation the Gaza Strip, West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful.

The International Court of Justice has determined that Israel failed to comply with at least one measure in regards to their genocide case.

The Leahy Law stipulates we should not be sending offensive arms to any nation wherein their units are committing gross human rights abuses.

Furthermore what's going in Gaza and the West Bank is pervasive, this isn't isolated to a few units.

[Beastly Boy]

42. The Geneva Conventions do not set the rules for military aid from one state to the aother.

The International Court of Justice did not rule on military aid from the US to Israel.

The International Court of Justice did not determine that Israel failed to comply with any provisional measures that it ruled on. It was a different ICJ, the International Commission of Jurists, totally unrelated to the International Court of Justice, an NGO with no legal or binding authority to rule on anything (https://www.icj.org/gaza-one-month-on-israel-fails-to-comply-with-the-order-of-the-international-court-of-justice/) that opined on Israel's non-compliance. An underwhelming event.

The Leahy Law stipulates that we shouldn't be sending offensive weapons to army units that are committing war crimes, not the countries to which those units belong. It is up to Congress to name those units and prevent them from being armed with US weapons. How it is accomplished is entirely up to the US Congress. The Congress is also the sole arbiter of how pervasive what goes on in Gaza is.

[Uncle Joe]

43. I never said the Geneva Conventions set the rules for military trade from one state to another.

I said it set the guidelines for what constitutes International Humanitarian Law.

However you slice it, there is more than ample evidence of Netanyahu's government having committed, and committing crimes against humanity on a pervasive level.

Gaza is a wasteland now and that didn't happen in isolated incidents, but by Israeli government policy dictates, thus all units become suspect.

[Beastly Boy]

44. Then you deflected.

And considering your awareness of the deflectoin, I can only presume it was intentional.

I am not going to slice anything, I am sticking to what I stated and what I responded to.

[Uncle Joe]

45. It's obvious to anyone witnessing what's going on in Gaza, that crimes against humanity is pervasive.

No matter how much you project.

[Kid Berwyn]

13. Keep Bibi Free

Come on, America! It’s your patriotic duty to bomb Tehran into a parking lot.

[walkingman]

18. Sarcasm, I presume....it's our patriotic duty to stop these endless wars

and focus on serving the interests of US citizens.

[Kid Berwyn]

19. Really is tough to make sense of insanity.

All the wars without end are making it hard to write straight.

Boys Go to Baghdad, Real Men Go to Tehran

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/06/15/boys-go-baghdad-real-men-go-tehran

[Bayard]

20. More prosecution is persecution

Bribery, fraud and breach of trust are the least of Bibi's crimes. Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity are much worse. He doesn't need to just go to jail, he needs to be buried under one.

[mahina]

25. Mob bosses, both

Arenʻt mob bosses usually dethroned?

[sop]

28. Trump just found out he couldn't pardon Bibi.

[Dave Bowman]

29. War hero? He's a damn war criminal. And a crook.

[republianmushroom]

48. Just buying a pardon before the verdict is announced.