Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime while in office.
President Donald Trump said on Dec. 29 that Israeli President Isaac Herzog told him a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “on its way.” That assertion, however, was disputed by Herzog’s office.
“He’s a wartime prime minister who’s a hero. How do you not give a pardon?” Trump, while standing alongside Netanyahu, told reporters ahead of a meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
“I spoke to the president … he tells me it’s on its way.”
Trump suggested the fate of Israel would be far worse if Netanyahu had not been in charge during recent crises—including the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks.
“If you had the wrong prime minister right now, Israel would not exist,” Trump said. “They were met with a force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.”
Herzog’s office, nevertheless, issued a statement that appeared to contradict Trump’s comments.
When asked about the U.S. president’s remarks, Herzog’s office said the Israeli president had not spoken with Trump since a pardon request was submitted several weeks ago.
“There has not been a conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted,” the statement read.
“Several weeks ago, a conversation took place between President Herzog and a representative on behalf of President Trump, who inquired about the U.S. President’s letter. During that conversation, an explanation was provided regarding the stage of the process in which the request currently stands, and that any decision on the matter will be made in accordance with the established procedures.
“This was conveyed to President Trump’s representative, exactly as President Herzog stated publicly in Israel.”
Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime while in office. He denies the bribery, fraud, and breach-of-trust charges stemming from his 2019 indictment.
His own request for a pardon, submitted on Nov. 30, argued that frequent court hearings hamper his ability to govern and that clemency would be in the national interest. The appeal was lodged following the start of a U.S.-brokered cease-fire in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s appeal for clemency has been criticized by his opponents, who said that pardoning him mid-trial would be a breach of the rule of law, according to the Times of Israel.
By Guy Birchall
