US President Donald Trump has formally requested pardons for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in three corruption cases. Israel’s Isaac Herzog reported on Wednesday that the US president wrote to Prime Minister Netanyahu in a letter expressing his “respect” for the Jewish state’s judicial system, in which Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed that the triple trial was “political and unjust persecution” and said it gave wings to Netanyahu’s appeal.
Trump’s letter comes after the US president recently expressed support for pardoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been charged with fraud, bribery and breach of trust since 2019. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who pleaded not guilty in 2021, is accused of accepting gifts worth $211,000 (about 182,000 euros) from businessmen, including cigars and champagne, and of using his influence to buy favorable media outlets. He traded publicity for himself in exchange for proposing legislative measures that benefited telecom industry powerhouses.
In a letter released by President Herzog’s office, President Trump said: “While I fully respect the independence of the Israeli judicial system and its requirements, I believe this ‘litigation’ against Bibi (Prime Minister Netanyahu’s nickname), who has fought alongside me for many years, including in the fight against Israel’s nemesis and (also) Iran, is a political and unwarranted persecution.”
“Now that the hostages (Israeli in the Gaza Strip) have been rescued, it is time to unite Israel and end this situation through Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pardon,” the text continues. legal issues Once and for all,” the Americans concluded, using the term to describe the use of the legal or judicial system to harm a political opponent.
In Israel, the president of the state has the power to pardon convicted persons. In some cases, pardons may be applied before sentencing if the case is deemed to be of public interest. To do this, the person under investigation or their immediate family would have to apply for a pardon, which has never happened before. Herzog limited his statement on Wednesday to the point that “those seeking clemency must submit their petitions according to established procedures.”
On October 13, when President Trump attended the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) within the framework of the start of the ceasefire in Gaza, he surprised the Israeli president with the following address in public. “I have an idea. Why don’t you forgive him?” “Cigars and champagne. Who cares?” one of the indictments said, referring to the gifts the prime minister allegedly received in response to camera applause and a big smile from Netanyahu.
In early November, President Trump returned to the fray in an interview with US network CBS, noting that he intended to “get involved” “to help in some small way” with the corruption case facing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I don’t think they treat him very well. He’s being judged for some things (…). We get involved in it to help him a little bit, because we think it’s unfair.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid responded to Trump’s letter on social networks, and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition partner and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir similarly welcomed the American’s letter. He called the accusations about Netanyahu “disgraceful” and extended his criticism to Israel’s entire judicial system, calling on Herzog to “listen to Trump.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, has led Israel almost continuously since 2009 and is the only sitting prime minister in history to be indicted in a corruption trial. Since the judicial investigation began in 2020, the president has described the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the left and has used every tactic to freeze or delay the case. Israeli television channel 13 reported in October, citing sources in the prime minister’s office, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides were considering taking steps to request a pardon for his wife, Sara Netanyahu.
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