WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump praised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war hero,” even though the Israeli leader faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
“He’s a good man. He’s in there fighting… He’s a war hero, because we worked together. He’s a war hero. I guess I am too,” Trump told conservative radio host Mark Levin on Tuesday.
Trump dismissed attempts to prosecute Netanyahu, saying opponents were “trying to put him in jail.” He did not clarify whether he meant the ICC warrant or Netanyahu’s corruption trial. That case, which began in 2020, made Netanyahu the first sitting Israeli leader to face criminal charges while in office.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Israel also defends itself at the International Court of Justice against genocide allegations.
Local health officials report that more than 62,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since October 2023. Most victims were women and children. The conflict has devastated the enclave and pushed it toward famine.
Trump also claimed credit for securing the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas. “I’m the one that got all the hostages back,” he said.
He praised recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, calling them “a total obliteration.” Shifting to domestic politics, Trump accused Democrats of siding with Palestinians and mocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as “the Palestinian senator from New York.”
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