PM Netanyahu thanks Trump for requesting pardon in corruption trial from Israel's President Herzog

President Isaac Herzog’s office announced on Wednesday that it had received a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, requesting that he pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from his ongoing court trial.

In the letter, President Trump called Netanyahu “a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister,” while also noting his role in pursuing peace. 

“I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister,” President Trump wrote, “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.” 

Saying that he fully respects “the independence of the Israeli Justice System,” President Trump called the bribery case against Netanyahu a “political, unjustified prosecution.” 

Speaking of the success of getting the hostages released, Trump said, “it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all,” using Netanyahu’s popular nickname. 

This is not the first time that Trump has called for a pradon for Netanyahu. During his brief visit to Israel and speech to the Knesset last month, the U.S. president also called to pardon the Israeli prime minister, saying, “Give him a pardon, come on.”

In July, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee attended a court hearing for Netanyahu, and afterward he reiterated President Trump's position that the corruption trial is "a political witch hunt," citing statements made by Trump following the 12-day Israel-Iran War. At that time, Trump posted to social media saying, “Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State."

In response, President Herzog’s office released a statement, acknowledging Trump’s significant support for Israel, and suggesting that Trump file a “formal request” if he is interested in seeking a pardon for Netanyahu. 

“President Herzog holds President Trump in the highest regard and continues to express his deep appreciation for President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel, his tremendous contribution to the return of the hostages, to reshaping the situation in the Middle East and Gaza especially, and to ensuring the security of the State of Israel,” Herzog’s office said in the statement.

“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.” 

In Israel, the person being pardoned, or immediate family members, must make the request, something Netanyahu has not done, apparently seeing it as an admission of wrongdoing, which he has contested.

Netanyahu’s corruption trial is not expected to finish anytime soon, and has created scheduling problems for the leader as he has been required to attend multiple court proceedings per week. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote in English to his personal social media account on 𝕏, thanking Trump for his support and for “calling it like it is.” 

Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible support. As usual, you get right to the point and call it like it is.

I look forward to continuing our partnership to bolster security and expand peace.

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 12, 2025

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who recently rejoined the government after leaving the opposition, posted a statement to 𝕏, saying Trump’s letter demonstrates “the full absurdity” of Netanyahu’s trial. 

“It seems that it took President Trump of the United States to highlight the full absurdity embodied by the continuation of the ‘Netanyahu trial,’” Sa’ar wrote in a post in Hebrew. “This Kafkaesque trial has been dragging on for five and a half years already, and who knows for how many more years.” 

Sa’ar noted that “the prosecution, in a blatantly inelegant manner, ignored the judges' recommendation to reconsider the bribery charge.” 

Noting that Netanyahu is being persecuted both at home and abroad for political reasons, Sa’ar wrote, “Under these circumstances, it is certainly appropriate for the president of the state to exercise his pardon authority and end this saga, which holds no benefit but only damages to the country, to the unity of the people of Israel, and even to the judicial system itself.” 

Meanwhile, public broadcaster Kan News reported that the Prime Minister’s Office asked several members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, including cabinet ministers, to speak out in favor of a presidential pardon. 

According to that report, Netanyahu’s advisors hope that President Herzog would be willing to approach the attorney general about canceling the bribery charges against Netanyahu if there was enough popular support.