US President Donald Trump called on President Isaac Herzog to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon immediately, saying he does not want Netanyahu “distracted by anything” other than the ongoing war with Iran, in an interview with N12 on Thursday.
“Herzog should give Netanyahu a pardon today,” Trump was quoted as saying, while also sharply criticizing Herzog and claiming the Israeli president had promised him multiple times that a pardon would be issued.
Trump called Herzog "a disgrace," and said he had “promised me five times” that he would pardon Netanyahu, according to the N12 report, adding that he had been discussing the matter with Herzog for roughly a year and warned, “Tell him I’m exposing him.”
Herzog has since denied claims that he made Trump any promises on this issue and stressed that he would not be dealing with this issue during an ongoing war.
Herzog: I will make a decision "without any influence from external or internal pressures"
“At a time when we are all mobilized, the President of the State is not dealing with the issue of a pardon for Prime Minister Netanyahu. President Herzog deeply respects and greatly appreciates President Trump’s enormous contribution to Israel’s security, views him as the leader of the free world and a key ally of the State of Israel, and particularly values his firm stance against Iran," read a statement issued by Herzog.
"The prime minister’s request is, under the procedures, currently with the Justice Ministry for a legal opinion, and once the process is completed, the President will examine the request in accordance with the law, the good of the state, and the dictates of his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” the statement added.
Trump's remarks come amid renewed debate over the limits and implications of presidential clemency in Israel while Netanyahu remains on trial in his long-running corruption case.
Under Israeli law, the president has authority to grant pardons and reduce sentences, but the issue is politically and legally fraught, particularly where legal proceedings are ongoing.
Likud MK welcomes Trump's remarks, calls Netanyahu's trials 'politically driven'
Likud MK and chair of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Boaz Bismuth, welcomed Trump's remarks.
"President Trump is correct," he said in a statement. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must only focus on the war with Iran and managing the country. This politically driven witch-hunt disguised as a trial is harming the country's security."
Netanyahu, who has denied wrongdoing, faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in cases commonly known as Cases 1000, 2000 and 4000.
Trump has publicly pressed for clemency before. While addressing the Knesset in Jerusalem in October, Trump called on Herzog to issue Netanyahu a pardon, resulting in widespread applause and chants of “Bibi” throughout the Knesset plenum.
“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump said at the time.