US President Donald Trump has urged Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, calling his corruption trial political and unjustified, sparking intense legal and political debate in Israel.
WEBDESK – MediaBites Editorial – November 13, 2025
US President Donald Trump has taken the extraordinary step of writing to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of long-standing corruption charges.
In the letter, released by the Israeli president’s office, Mr. Trump described the trial against Mr. Netanyahu as a “political, unjustified prosecution.” He said it was time to “let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him and ending that lawfare once and for all.”
Mr. Netanyahu, who has been on trial since 2020 for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust—charges he denies—was described by Mr. Trump as a “formidable and decisive wartime leader now leading Israel into peace.”
President Herzog responded that he respected Mr. Trump’s friendship but reminded him that any request for a pardon must follow due legal process. Netanyahu, in a social media post, thanked Mr. Trump for his “incredible support,” saying the former US president “always calls it like it is.”
The letter has triggered intense political debate in Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid noted that under Israeli law, a pardon requires an admission of guilt, making it legally impossible for Netanyahu to accept one while continuing to deny wrongdoing.
Some right-wing figures, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, praised Trump’s intervention, calling it the “right and urgent thing to do.” Legal experts, however, called the move “unprecedented” and warned that any pardon could face a High Court challenge.
Observers say Trump’s request marks one of the boldest intrusions into a foreign judicial process by a sitting US president, further blurring the line between diplomacy, politics, and personal alliances.
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