Trump Urges Israeli President to Pardon Netanyahu, Herzog’s Office Says

U.S. President Donald Trump has written to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, urging him to issue a full pardon for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who remains on trial for corruption charges, Herzog’s office said on Nov. 12.

Trump wrote in the letter that Israel had endured “terribly difficult times over the last three years,” referring to the Gaza conflict, and that Herzog should “fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Trump praised Netanyahu as a “formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister” who is “now leading Israel into a time of peace” and said it was time to allow him to focus on peace, not court proceedings.

He said that Netanyahu’s “attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted” by the ongoing corruption trial, which began in 2020 and includes charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

While saying he respected Israel’s legal independence, Trump described the charges as politically motivated, writing that the case against Netanyahu, “who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution.”

The letter follows Trump’s visit to Israel in October, following the announcement of the Gaza cease-fire agreement, when he publicly urged Herzog during a Knesset address to pardon Netanyahu.

At the time, Trump described the Israeli prime minister as a “good man” who knows “how to win.”

In the letter, Trump said he and Herzog had agreed early in Trump’s presidency to focus on “bringing the hostages home and getting the peace agreement done.”

Now that those objectives had been achieved, Trump said, it is time to let Netanyahu “unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.”

Herzog’s Office Responds

Herzog’s office confirmed receipt of the letter and thanked the United States for its support in the release of Israeli hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza and for safeguarding Israel’s security.

In a statement cited by The Jerusalem Post, Herzog’s office said that Israel’s pardon process must be followed strictly.

“Anyone seeking a pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with established procedures,” the statement reads.

Under Israeli law, the president can grant pardons to those convicted in court and, in rare circumstances, even before legal proceedings conclude, if deemed to serve the public interest. The request must come from the individual concerned or an immediate family member. To date, neither Netanyahu nor his relatives have filed such a petition.

Netanyahu’s Legal Troubles

Netanyahu was indicted in November 2019 in three separate cases—1000, 2000, and 4000—on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

In Case 4000, prosecutors allege that Netanyahu granted regulatory benefits worth millions of shekels to businessman Shaul Elovitch, owner of Bezeq and the Walla news site, in exchange for favorable coverage for himself and his family.

Case 2000 centers on alleged discussions between Netanyahu and Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yediot Aharonoth, over legislation that would limit a rival newspaper, Israel Hayom, in return for positive coverage.

In Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife are accused of accepting luxury gifts, including cigars and champagne, worth roughly 700,000 shekels ($185,000) from businessmen Arnon Milchan and James Packer, while Netanyahu allegedly acted on matters benefiting them.

Netanyahu has denied all allegations and, in court testimony last year, described himself as a defender of Israel’s security who had stood firm against pressure from foreign powers and what he called a hostile domestic media.

In an earlier speech on May 24, 2020, delivered just before the start of his trial, Netanyahu said the proceedings were “an effort to frustrate the will of the people—the attempt to bring down me and the right-wing camp.”