Trump urges Israel to pardon Netanyahu, says corruption case 'political, unjustified'

In an unprecedented move, US President Donald Trump has written to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his long-running corruption trial — a case that has sharply divided Israeli society and politics.

In his letter dated Wednesday, Trump described the corruption charges against Netanyahu as a 'political, unjustified prosecution' calling the Israeli leader a 'formidable and decisive war-time Prime Minister' who had “led Israel into a time of peace.”

“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,” Trump wrote in the letter.

The intervention marks Trump’s second public appeal for clemency for Netanyahu, following his speech to Israel’s Knesset last month, during which he received a standing ovation from the prime minister’s allies after calling for a pardon.

Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial, facing charges of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery in three separate cases involving alleged favours to wealthy businessmen in exchange for positive media coverage and gifts. He has denied all charges, calling them part of a “witch hunt” driven by political rivals and hostile media — echoing Trump’s own language in describing his legal troubles in the United States.

The trial has been repeatedly delayed amid the government’s handling of the Gaza conflict and ongoing domestic unrest.

The Israeli presidency, though largely ceremonial, holds the authority to grant pardons. President Herzog confirmed receiving Trump’s letter but said no official pardon process can begin without a formal request from Netanyahu himself.

“Anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request,” Herzog said, adding that he prefers a “mutual settlement” between the prosecution and Netanyahu.

Political backlash

Trump’s intervention has sparked controversy across Israel, with critics accusing him of attempting to influence Israel’s judiciary and undermine the rule of law.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid reminded that Israeli law requires an admission of guilt and remorse before a pardon can be granted.

Constitutional expert Amir Fuchs of the Israel Democracy Institute said that a pardon in Netanyahu’s case, if granted, would be “highly irregular and possibly illegal.”

“A pardon without some kind of admission of guilt is very unusual and even illegal,” Fuchs noted. “It would send a dangerous signal — a green light to corruption.”

Trump’s letter, coming amid US-Israel tensions over the Gaza ceasefire, has reignited debates about foreign influence in Israel’s internal affairs — and the deepening parallels between Trump’s and Netanyahu’s political and legal battles.

With PTI/AP inputs