Trump formally requests pardon for Netanyahu

President Donald Trump pens letter formally asking his Israeli counterpart to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News 

President Donald Trump penned a letter to his Israeli counterpart formally requesting a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog’s office announced Wednesday afternoon.

According to a spokesperson for the Israeli head of state, Herzog received the letter Wednesday morning.

Touting his administration’s Gaza peace plan as delivering the “peace that has been sought for at least 3,000 years,” Trump urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, both in recognition of the Israeli premier’s leadership during more than two years of war, and in order to enable Netanyahu to help negotiate additional peace deals under the framework of the Abraham Accords.

“As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world changing Abraham Accords.”

Trump lamented that given Netanyahu’s regular court appearances, his attention was being “unnecessarily diverted” from important foreign policy questions.

The American president also reiterated his criticism of the cases against Netanyahu, calling the ongoing trial  “a political, unjustified prosecution.”

“Now that we have achieved these unprecedented successes, and are keeping Hamas in check, it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.”

President Herzog’s office responded by saying that while he holds “President Trump in the highest regard and continues to express his deep appreciation for President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel,” Herzog will only consider a presidential pardon if Netanyahu himself files a request.

“Alongside and not withstanding this, as the Office of the President has made clear throughout, anyone seeking a Presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.”

This is not the first time President Trump has taken aim at Netanyahu’s corruption trial or urged Herzog to close the proceedings with a presidential pardon.

During his Oct. 13 address to the Knesset, Trump suggested Herzog could pardon the embattled premier.

“Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon? Cigars and some champagne – who the hell cares?”

Trump also weighed in on Netanyahu’s trial in two separate social media posts in June.

“Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State (of Israel),” Trump wrote on June 25, calling the trial a “witch-hunt.”

Three days later, Trump hinted on Truth Social that if the trial continued to curtail Netanyahu’s ability to handle foreign policy issues, the US would consider cutting aid to the Jewish state.

“It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote.

“The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this.”

Benjamin NetanyahuDonald TrumpIsaac HerzogPresidential pardon