Israeli president pushes back against Trump’s pressure to pardon Netanyahu on corruption charges

Israel's president pushed back Saturday against US President Donald Trump’s call for a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial.

Speaking to Politico, Isaac Herzog confirmed that his office had received a pardon request from Netanyahu and that it is being reviewed through “a process which goes through the Justice Ministry and my legal adviser and so on.”

“This is certainly an extraordinary request and above all when dealing with it I will consider what is the best interest of the Israeli people,” he added.

Rebuffing Trump’s pressure, Herzog said he values the US president’s friendship and views but stressed that Israel’s institutions operate independently.

“Israel, naturally, is a sovereign country and we fully respect the Israeli legal system and its requirements,” he said.

Asked what would happen if he rejects the pardon, Herzog said Israel’s relationship with the US and with Trump remains “warm,” adding that the issue should be viewed in the proper context and warning against “doomsday analysis.”

On Israel’s elections set for next year, Herzog said the key question will be “how Israelis view the future of the relationship with the Palestinians.”

Israeli prosecutors on Wednesday resumed questioning Netanyahu in court over the corruption charges against him.

This was the second hearing since Netanyahu submitted a request on Sunday to Herzog to pardon him in his corruption trial, a move that sparked division between supporters and opponents.

Since the start of his trial, Netanyahu has refused to admit guilt, while Israeli law allows the president to grant a pardon only after a defendant acknowledges guilt.

Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where over 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.