‘Unjustified’: Trump urges Israel to pardon Netanyahu
US President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israel’s president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the long-running corruption case that has deeply divided the country.
It was Trump’s latest attempt to intervene in the case on Netanyahu’s behalf and raised questions about America’s undue influence on Israel’s internal affairs.
Trump also called for pardon for Netanyahu in his speech to the Israeli parliament in October. Netanyahu made a short visit to introduce the ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza.
In a letter to President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, Trump called the corruption case a “political, unfair prosecution.”
“As the great State of Israel and the great Jewish People leave behind the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I urge you to fully forgive Benjamin Netanyahu, a tough and determined Wartime Prime Minister who has now led Israel into a time of peace,” Trump said.
Netanyahu became the only prime minister in Israeli history to be prosecuted after being accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters.
Netanyahu denies the allegations and, in Trump-like language, denounced the case as a witch hunt by the media, police and judiciary.
In a post on X on Thursday, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to Trump, although it was not explicitly linked to the pardon request.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible support. As always, get straight to the point and tell it like it is,” he wrote. “I look forward to continuing our partnership to strengthen security and expand peace.”
Netanyahu took the stand multiple times last year, but the trial has been repeatedly postponed as he deals with wars and unrest stemming from Hamas-led militant attacks in October 2023.
Israel’s presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but the president has the power to grant pardons.
Herzog acknowledged receiving the letter but said anyone seeking a presidential pardon must make a formal request. Herzog declined to say how he would respond to Netanyahu’s request; He has said publicly only that he believes the trial is a distraction and source of division for the country and that he would prefer to see Netanyahu and the prosecution reach an agreement.
When Trump called for amnesty in his speech in October, he received a passionate standing ovation from Netanyahu’s allies in parliament.
But it also raised questions about American influence on Israeli policies, particularly regarding security in the Gaza Strip. These concerns came to a head during a series of visits by senior American leaders, from Vice President J.D. Vance to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Israeli media called the visits “Bibi-sitting,” a pun on Netanyahu’s nickname, and said officials came to ensure Israel continued to hold its side of the fragile ceasefire. Both Netanyahu and Vance rejected the proposals and said the countries have a close partnership.
