Israeli President Isaac Herzog has confirmed receiving a formal letter from United States President Donald Trump, urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently facing three separate corruption trials.
Netanyahu, who has consistently denied all allegations, is accused of accepting luxury gifts worth over $260,000 from wealthy businessmen and of attempting to secure favourable media coverage in exchange for political favours. His supporters insist the charges are politically motivated.
According to a statement from Herzog’s office, the letter from Trump was delivered on Wednesday. The former U.S. president praised Netanyahu as a “formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister,” while describing the corruption cases against him as “political” and “unjustified.”
“I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu,” Trump wrote, noting that while he respected Israel’s judicial independence, he viewed the prosecution as unfair.
Herzog’s office responded by expressing respect for Trump’s long-standing support for Israel but emphasized that any pardon request must follow official legal procedures.
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“Alongside and notwithstanding this… anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with established procedures,” the statement read.
Netanyahu’s time in office has been marked by both political triumphs and controversy. His proposed judicial reforms, which critics said threatened to weaken the independence of Israel’s courts, sparked months of nationwide protests before being halted amid the Gaza war in late 2023.
Trump, who has faced multiple legal battles of his own in the U.S., has frequently claimed that his prosecutions were politically driven paralleling the argument made by Netanyahu’s supporters.
