US president calls corruption charges against Israeli PM ‘unjustified’, describing Netanyahu as ‘formidable’ leader.
United States President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, slamming the corruption charges against the Israeli prime minister as “political” and “unjustified”.
Trump’s letter on Wednesday comes a month after the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, ushering in a fragile truce amid daily Israeli attacks and aid restrictions.
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In his letter, the US president cited Netanyahu’s leadership in the war, an assault that killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children, and which United Nations investigators have described as a genocide.
“I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world changing Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.
Several Israeli media outlets posted a copy of the letter on Wednesday.
With the letter, Trump inserts himself further into domestic Israeli politics, appearing to push to reward the Israeli prime minister for agreeing to the ceasefire.
The call also highlights Trump’s growing support for fellow right-wing leaders internationally. Earlier this year, the US bailed out the Argentinian economy under President Javier Milei with $40bn.
In Wednesday’s letter, Trump reiterated the false notion that he secured peace in the region for “at least 3,000 years”. Israel was established in 1948, and the Zionist movement to colonise Palestine was founded in the late 1800s.
The US president made a similar call for ending the corruption case against Netanyahu when he spoke to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, last month.
But he was more direct in addressing the Israeli president in the letter.
“Isaac, we have established a great relationship, one that I am very thankful for and honoured by, and we agreed as soon as I was inaugurated in January that the focus had to be centred on finally bringing the hostages home and getting the peace agreement done,” Trump wrote.
“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.”
The Israeli presidency is mostly a ceremonial post, but the president retains the power to grant pardons.
However, with Netanyahu’s trial ongoing, Herzog cannot issue a pardon until a verdict is reached.
Herzog responded to Trump’s letter on Wednesday, saying that a pardon must be requested through a designated process.
“The president holds great respect for President Trump and repeatedly expresses his appreciation for Trump’s unwavering support of Israel and his tremendous contribution to the return of the hostages, the reshaping of the Middle East and Gaza, and the safeguarding of Israel’s security,” the Israeli president’s office said, according to the Times of Israel.
“Without detracting from the above, as the president has made clear on multiple occasions, anyone seeking a pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.”
Trump himself has faced criminal charges, including over election interference, after his first presidency, which he has described as a “witch hunt”.
