Herzog pushes back after Trump says Netanyahu pardon ‘on its way’
Israeli president pushes back after Trump says Netanyahu pardon ‘on its way’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog denied having a conversation with President Donald Trump about pardoning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, offering swift pushback after the president said a grant of clemency is “on its way.”
“There has been no conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted,” Herzog’s office said in a statement, according to public reports, adding that Herzog spoke with a Trump administration official about the process of granting a pardon at Netanyahu’s request.
According to Herzog’s office, the Trump aide “was given an explanation of the stage the request is currently at, and that a decision on the matter will be made in accordance with the procedures. This was explained to Trump’s representative, exactly as President Herzog conveyed to the public in Israel.”
Trump told reporters in Florida on Monday that Netanyahu, who is visiting Mar-a-Lago to discuss the Gaza peace plan, will soon receive a pardon in relation to corruption charges he is currently facing back in Israel.
Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020 after being indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust throughout his fourth and fifth terms in office. The charges also implicate a number of prominent Israeli businessmen.
The prime minister submitted a request for immunity to the Israeli Parliament before the trial began. In November, Netanyahu submitted a request for pardon to Herzog’s office, arguing that the court appearances were dividing the country in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and hindering his ability to effectively implement a wind-down of the war in Gaza.
Trump previously voiced support for pardoning Netanyahu and discussed the matter during their Monday meeting at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump, with the prime minister by his side, called Netanyahu a “strong man” and said he recently spoke to Herzog about the matter.
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“I think he will. How do you not? He’s a wartime prime minister who’s a hero,” Trump said. “How do you not give a pardon, you know? I think it’s a very hard thing not to do.”
“[Herzog] tells me it’s on its way,” he concluded. “You can’t do better than that.”
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