TEL AVIV — President Donald Trump’s dramatic call this week to drop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial on corruption charges is part of a grand scheme that includes disabling Iran’s nuclear program, ending the war in Gaza and roping major Muslim states into a peace circle with Israel. Several Israeli political and diplomatic sources have described the scenario to Al-Monitor in recent days.

After the end of the war with Iran, Trump in a post to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday said that Netanyahu's trial for alleged corruption, bribery and breach of trust "should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero." He described the long-running case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt."

Coordinated move

"This move was coordinated, carefully planned, with nothing left to chance," a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It’s part of a huge historic regional move planned by the two leaders to end the war in Gaza, release all the Israeli hostages in Gaza and put in place a provisional government there, expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and Indonesia, hand Trump the Nobel Peace Prize and obtain a pardon for Netanyahu."