Trump Pressures Israeli President Again to Pardon Netanyahu Amid Iran Conflict

Former President Donald Trump has once more urged Israel's president to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. Trump argues Netanyahu should focus solely on the conflict with Iran rather than his legal troubles.

JERUSALEM – Former President Donald Trump has intensified his pressure on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that the embattled leader needs to concentrate exclusively on confronting Iran without legal distractions.

During a Thursday interview with Israel’s N12 television network, Trump used Netanyahu’s familiar nickname while making his appeal. “President Herzog must give Bibi a pardon today. I don’t want there to be anything troubling Bibi other than the war with Iran … Herzog is a disgrace … he promised me five times to give Bibi a pardon,” Trump stated.

Herzog’s office responded by emphasizing that during wartime, the pardon matter is not his current priority. The Israeli president’s statement acknowledged Trump’s contributions to Israeli security and his stance on Iran, while affirming Israel’s sovereignty and commitment to legal principles.

“The president will examine the request according to the law, the good of the state, his conscience and free of any internal or external pressure,” Herzog’s office declared.

Netanyahu holds the distinction of being Israel’s first serving prime minister to face criminal charges. He has consistently denied allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust stemming from his 2019 indictment. The prime minister formally submitted his pardon petition in November.

This marks another instance of Trump advocating for Netanyahu’s pardon, though Herzog has previously challenged Trump’s assertions about promised pardons. The timing coincides with recent joint U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran conducted over the weekend.

Israeli law grants the president pardoning authority for convicted individuals, though no historical precedent exists for mid-trial pardons. The legal procedures involved in such pardons typically require considerable time to complete.