OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
8:03 AM – Thursday, November 13, 2025
President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog formally asking him to “fully pardon” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has been on trial for the past five years for three separate corruption cases, making him the first Israeli prime minister to stand trial. He faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, but has denied any wrongdoing, calling the trial a “witch-hunt.”
In Trump’s letter, posted to social media on Wednesday, he wrote that Netanyahu “has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace.”
He also highlighted his own work in securing the Abraham Accords, which brokered formalized relations between Israel and nearby Arab countries.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries and long odds, and his attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted,” the president wrote.
AdvertisementHe added, “While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this ‘case’ against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time … is a political, unjustified prosecution.”
Trump acknowledged in the letter his common goal with President Herzog and Netanyahu in bringing the Israeli and foreign hostages back from Hamas’s hold.
“Now that we have achieved these unprecedented successes, and are keeping Hamas in check, it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all,” Trump’s letter concluded. “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Herzog’s office responded in a statement that he “holds President Trump in the highest regard and continues to express his deep appreciation for President Trump’s unwavering support for Israel.”
The statement pointed out, however, that “anyone seeking a Presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures,” meaning Herzog cannot dole out a pardon without Netanyahu or a close relative first filing a request for one.
At this point in the proceedings, the president of Israel cannot grant the prime minister a pardon. Because the trial has already begun, he will have to wait until its completion.
Israel’s National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, implored Herzog to “listen to President Trump” because Netanyahu’s trial had “become an indictment against the prosecution itself, whose carelessness and crimes are revealed in court every day”.
The country’s opposition leader, however, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid wrote on X, “Reminder: Israeli law stipulates that the first condition for receiving a pardon is an admission of guilt and an expression of remorse.”
Netanyahu made an X post on Wednesday, thanking the U.S. president for his support and straightforwardness.
“Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible support. As usual, you get right to the point and call it like it is,” he wrote. “I look forward to continuing our partnership to bolster security and expand peace.”
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