The US president last month asked his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, to fully pardon Netanyahu in a long-standing corruption case
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbied US President Donald Trump for stronger backing for his bid for a presidential pardon over a long-running corruption case, Axios has reported, citing officials.
Netanyahu last week formally asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon him from a case in which he has been entangled for over a decade. The plea came after Trump, a staunch Netanyahu ally, urged Herzog in November to grant a full pardon.
During a call on Monday, Netanyahu asked Trump for more help in his push for a pardon from the Israeli president, according to Axios. Trump expressed confidence that the effort would ultimately succeed but stopped short of committing to new steps, the outlet reported, citing US and Israeli officials familiar with the exchange.
“Netanyahu wants Trump to do more, but the president has done all he can do,” one American official told Axios.
Trump’s letter to Herzog last month dismissed the charges against Netanyahu as “a political, unjustified prosecution” and demanded a full pardon. Critics said the gesture risks undermining Israel’s judiciary and turning pardons into political weapons.
Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister ever to stand trial, facing charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases alleging he traded political favors for lavish gifts from wealthy associates. Indicted in 2019, he has pleaded not guilty and insists the case is a politically motivated campaign by the media, police, and judiciary to remove him from power. The trial, which began in 2020, has been repeatedly delayed and is expected to drag on for years.
Critics argue that Netanyahu has used Israel’s ongoing conflicts to insulate himself from legal jeopardy and maintain his hold on power.
In his plea for clemency, Netanyahu said a pardon would allow him to devote “all of his time, abilities, and energy” to leading Israel through what he called “critical times.” Herzog’s office said the president will review the request once he receives the full set of legal opinions.
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