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Trump calls Israeli President Isaac Herzog a “disgrace,” demanding an immediate pardon for Netanyahu during the escalating US-Israeli war on Iran.
Key Developments
- Trump calls Israeli President Isaac Herzog a “disgrace” for not pardoning Netanyahu.
- Trump demands Herzog grant the pardon “today” so Netanyahu can focus on the war with Iran.
- Herzog’s office says the decision will be made without external pressure and according to Israeli law.
- Netanyahu remains on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.
- Trump says he refuses to meet Herzog until the pardon is granted.
- The comments mark a dramatic US intervention in Israel’s legal process during wartime.
Trump Demands Immediate Pardon
US President Donald Trump sharply escalated pressure on Israel’s leadership on Thursday, calling Israeli President Isaac Herzog a “disgrace” and demanding that he immediately pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“President Herzog must give Bibi a pardon today. I don’t want there to be anything troubling Bibi other than the war with Iran,” Trump said in an interview.
Trump also attacked Herzog personally. “Herzog is a disgrace … he promised me five times to give Bibi a pardon,” Trump said.
The US president said he wants Netanyahu to focus solely on the war against Iran.
“Every day I talk to Bibi about the war. I want him to focus on the war and not on the f*cking court case. I want the only pressure on Bibi to be the fighting against Iran,” Trump said.
Trump added that he is refusing to meet Herzog until the pardon is granted.
“Tell him I am exposing him. That president better damn well give him the pardon right now — and stop using it as leverage for his own political career,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly called for Netanyahu to be pardoned, arguing that the corruption case against him is a political “witch hunt.”
Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The allegations include claims that he received expensive gifts, including cigars and champagne, from wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favors. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing.
Israel Says It Rejects Outside Pressure
Herzog’s office responded by rejecting external pressure and stressing that the decision will follow Israel’s legal process, according to Reuters news agency.
“Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” Herzog’s office said in a statement. The statement also emphasized that the president would review the matter only after the legal process is completed.
“After the process is completed, the president will examine the request according to the law, the good of the country, and according to his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” the statement said.
Israeli officials also pushed back against Trump’s claim that Herzog had promised a pardon.
According to a senior Israeli official cited in reports, Herzog told Trump advisers that he would consider the request in line with legal procedures rather than promising a pardon.
Under Israeli law, the president has the authority to grant pardons. However, there is no precedent for issuing a pardon while a criminal trial is still ongoing.
Netanyahu submitted a request for a presidential pardon in November. His trial has been temporarily suspended because Israeli courts are operating under emergency wartime measures.
