President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning made a formal request to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption and fraud charges.
Trump asked Herzog to consider fully pardoning Netanyahu in a letter that Herzog’s office shared. Trump wrote that Netanyahu has been a ‘formidable and decisive’ leader for Israel in a time of war and has led Israel ‘into a time of peace.’
‘Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries and long odds, and his attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted,’ reads the letter.
Trump wrote that while he ‘absolutely’ respects the independence of the Israeli judicial system, he believes the case against Netanyahu is a ‘political, unjustified prosecution.’
Netanyahu is currently standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. The trial, which began in 2020, marked the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister testified as a criminal defendant.
Trump wrote that ‘it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.’
Herzog declined to take a position on the matter, with his office issuing its own statement that a presidential pardon request must go through the proper channels, which includes the person who wants a pardon making a formal request.
The statement said that Herzog holds Trump in the ‘highest regard’ and ‘continues to express his deep appreciation’ for Trump’s support of Israel and his ‘tremendous’ role in the return of hostages from Gaza.
Trump previously urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during a speech in the Israeli Knesset last month.
Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.