Trump urges Israel to pardon Netanyahu, raising concerns about American influence

JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a letter to Israel’s president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the long-running corruption trial that has deeply divided the country.

It was Trump’s latest attempt to intervene in the case on Netanyahu’s behalf, raising questions about undue American influence over internal Israeli affairs. Trump also called for Netanyahu’s pardon during a speech to the Israeli parliament last month, when he made a brief visit to promote his plan for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.

He watches: Trump celebrates the release of hostages and demands a pardon from Netanyahu in his speech before the Israeli parliament

In a letter Wednesday to President Isaac Herzog, Trump described the corruption case as an “unwarranted political prosecution.”

“As the great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish people navigate the very difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a tremendous and decisive wartime Prime Minister, who is now leading Israel into a time of peace,” Trump wrote.

Netanyahu is the only prime minister in Israel’s history to stand trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters.

Netanyahu rejects these accusations, and condemned the case, in language similar to Trump’s, and described it as a witch-hunt campaign organized by the media, the police, and the judiciary. Netanyahu has taken this position several times over the past year, but the issue has been repeatedly postponed as he deals with the wars and unrest stemming from the October 2023 Hamas-led armed attacks.

Read more: Netanyahu testifies in a corruption trial, the latest in a long line of scandals

The presidency in Israel is a largely ceremonial position, but the president has the power to grant pardons.

Herzog acknowledged receiving the letter, but said anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request. Herzog declined to say how he would respond to Netanyahu’s request, saying publicly only that he believed the trial was a distraction and a source of division for the country, and that he would prefer to see Netanyahu and the prosecution reach a settlement.

When Trump called for a pardon in his speech last month, he received a standing ovation from Netanyahu’s allies in Parliament.

But it also raised questions about American influence on Israeli policies, especially regarding security in the Gaza Strip. These concerns came to a head during a series of visits by top US leaders, from Vice President J.D. Vance to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Israeli media described these visits as “Bibi’s babysitter,” a play on words on Netanyahu’s nickname, saying the officials were coming to ensure Israel continued to adhere to its side of the fragile ceasefire. Both Netanyahu and Vance rejected the suggestions and said the two countries have a close partnership.

Opponent Yair Lapid indicated that the pardon may have unintended consequences for Netanyahu. “Reminder: Israeli law stipulates that the first condition for receiving a pardon is to admit guilt and express remorse for those actions,” he wrote on XX.

Read more: Trump’s pledge to “rescue” Netanyahu from his corruption trial worries some Israelis

Amir Fox, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem-based think tank Israel Democracy Institute and an expert in constitutional law, said that according to Israeli law, a presidential pardon for Netanyahu can only be issued if Netanyahu submits a formal request, which triggers a long procedure that includes recommendations from the Justice Ministry.

Fox added that pardons are usually issued to people convicted of a crime. “A pardon is a word for forgiveness, and a pardon without some sort of admission of guilt is highly unusual and even illegal,” Fox said.

He also said that if a pardon is granted after Trump’s letter, it risks giving a “green light” to corruption. He added, “The letter will undermine the rule of law.”

In June, Trump also condemned Netanyahu’s trial as a “witch hunt,” using the same language he and Netanyahu have long used to describe their legal troubles. Both assert that they are victims of hostile media, corrupt law enforcement and political opponents.