Trump letter urges Israel’s president to pardon PM Netanyahu

[ad_1] David Gritten and

Sebastian Usher, Jerusalem

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/dfa2/live/ef962860-bfd5-11f0-8669-5560f5c90fbe.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters US President Donald Trump (L) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) during an address to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem (13 October 2025)" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Reuters Donald Trump has repeatedly requested for a pardon for his shut ally Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's President Isaac Herzog has obtained a letter from US President Donald Trump formally urging him to "totally pardon" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has been standing trial for the previous 5 years on prices of bribery, fraud and breach of belief in reference to three separate circumstances. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Within the letter, Trump writes that he "completely" respects the independence of Israel's justice system, however that he believes Netanyahu is going through "a political, unjustified prosecution".

Herzog's workplace stated he held Trump "within the highest regard", however that anybody looking for a pardon needed to submit a proper request.

Netanyahu later thanked Trump for the "unbelievable help".

"As standard, you get proper to the purpose and name it like it's," he wrote on X. "I stay up for persevering with our partnership to bolster safety and broaden peace."

In 2020, Netanyahu turned the primary serving Israeli prime minister to face trial.

Within the first case, prosecutors have alleged that he obtained presents - primarily cigars and bottles of champagne - from highly effective businessmen in alternate for favours.

He's accused within the second case of providing to assist enhance the circulation of an Israeli newspaper in alternate for optimistic protection.

And within the third, prosecutors have alleged that he promoted regulatory choices beneficial to the controlling shareholder of an Israeli telecoms firm in alternate for optimistic protection by a information web site.

Netanyahu has pleaded not responsible to all the fees and branded the trial as a "witch-hunt" by political opponents.

Final month, after serving to to dealer the ceasefire in Israel's two-year with Hamas in Gaza, Trump stated Herzog ought to pardon his shut ally in a seemingly off-the-cuff comment throughout a speech to the Israeli parliament.

"Cigars and Champagne, who the hell cares about that?" he requested.

In his letter to the president, Trump writes: "Because the Nice State of Israel and the wonderful Jewish Individuals transfer previous the terribly tough instances of the final three years, I hereby name on you to totally pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive Conflict Time Prime Minister, and is now main Israel right into a time of peace."

He provides: "Whereas I completely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its necessities, I consider that this 'case' towards Bibi [Netanyahu], who has fought alongside me for a very long time, together with towards the very robust adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution."

The response from Herzog's workplace is diplomatic, saying that he "holds President Trump within the highest regard and continues to specific his deep appreciation for President Trump's unwavering help for Israel".

It additionally politely factors out that "anybody looking for a Presidential pardon should submit a proper request in accordance with the established procedures".

In keeping with Israel's Fundamental Legislation, the president "has the ability to pardon criminals and cut back or transmute their sentence".

Nevertheless, the Excessive Courtroom of Justice has beforehand dominated that the president may pardon a person earlier than they're convicted, whether it is within the public curiosity or if there are excessive private circumstances.

A pardon would additionally should be requested by the accused or an in depth relative.

There was no public indication of this thus far, though there's hypothesis within the Israeli media that this might occur.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2cfd/live/e764e410-bfda-11f0-bbea-2df62eb90585.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Israel GPO Letter from US President Donald Trump to Israel's President Isaac Herzog" class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Israel GPO Israel's far-right Nationwide Safety Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, urged Herzog to "take heed to President Trump", saying Netanyahu's trial had "change into an indictment towards the prosecution itself, whose carelessness and crimes are revealed in court docket on daily basis".

Nevertheless, Israel's opposition chief and former prime minister, Yair Lapid, wrote on X: "Reminder: Israeli legislation stipulates that the primary situation for receiving a pardon is an request for forgiveness and an expression of regret."

He later instructed Israel's parliament: "There comes a second when individuals should inform themselves... we should additionally say 'no' to an American president. We're a sovereign nation; there is a restrict to interference."

For Netanyahu's right-wing Likud celebration and his supporters, a pardon has lengthy been sought since his trial started.

However for a lot of in Israel - particularly on the left - it will be seen as one other transfer away from the nation's sense of itself as a strong democracy with a powerful authorized system.

It was fears that this was below assault with the federal government's plans for judicial reforms that introduced a whole bunch of 1000's out onto the streets in protest for a lot of months earlier than the Hamas-led assaults of seven October 2023 that triggered the Gaza conflict.