The President of the United States, Donald Trump, said on Thursday that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, should receive a pardon for the corruption charges, stating that the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, should “be ashamed of himself” for not granting it.
“He is ashamed for not granting it. He should grant it,” Trump said during an event at the White House, adding that Netanyahu has been a great prime minister in times of war.
The Israeli prime minister met with Trump in Washington on Wednesday — the seventh meeting between the two leaders since Trump took office last year — to discuss a possible deal on Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missiles.
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Netanyahu is the first serving Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime and denies the allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust that date back to the indictment filed in 2019.
Trump has publicly urged the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu several times and said, at the end of December, that Herzog had informed him that the pardon was on its way. Herzog’s office quickly disputed that version.
According to Israeli law, the president has the authority to grant pardons to convicted persons. However, there is no precedent for issuing a pardon in the middle of a trial.
In response to questions about Trump’s comment, Herzog’s office said that Netanyahu’s request is being analyzed by the Israeli Ministry of Justice for the issuance of a legal opinion, and once this process is completed, Herzog will consider the request.
“Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law. Contrary to the impression created by President Trump’s statements, President Herzog has not yet made a decision on the matter,” said Herzog’s office in a statement.
