Herzog Receives Trump Letter Seeking Full Pardon for Netanyahu
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday in Jerusalem that he received a formal letter from US President Donald Trump urging a full pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The request, conveyed through Herzog’s office, seeks to end a yearslong case that President Trump argues distracts Netanyahu and complicates Israel’s war-and-peace portfolio.
“It is my honor to write to you at this historic time, as we have, together, just secured peace that has been sought for at least 3,000 years,” the US president wrote. “I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister,” adding that the prosecution is “political, unjustified.”
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Herzog’s office responded that he “holds President Trump in high regard,” but “anyone seeking a pardon must submit a request in accordance with the established procedures.” Under Israeli practice, pardon bids typically come from the defendant or family members and often follow an admission of guilt.
Reactions in Israel split along party lines. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said, “A reminder: Israeli law clearly stipulates that the first condition for a presidential pardon is admitting guilt and expressing remorse.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Herzog to accept the appeal: “President Herzog, listen to President Trump!” Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing; his trial, which began in 2020, has stretched on with repeated delays.
The letter continues a pattern of the American president weighing in on the case, from calling it a “ridiculous witch hunt” online to raising the issue during an October address to Israel’s parliament. It also follows his broader habit of backing ideological allies overseas. The US president wrote that Israel is moving “into a time of peace,” saying Netanyahu’s “attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted” by court proceedings and urging a pardon to “let Bibi unite Israel.”
