Israeli President denies Trump’s claim that Netanyahu will be pardoned

The office of Israeli President Isaac Herzog has formally denied a claim made by United States President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently standing trial on corruption charges, was on the verge of receiving a presidential pardon, thereby widening an already sensitive political and diplomatic dispute.

Trump, speaking in Florida shortly before a meeting with Netanyahu, asserted that Herzog had indicated that clemency was imminent, while simultaneously portraying the Israeli leader as a wartime figure whose prosecution, in his view, warranted executive intervention rather than judicial conclusion.

Herzog’s office contradicted the assertion, stating that no communication had taken place between Herzog and Trump since the latter submitted a written request for clemency in November, and emphasising that any pardon process must adhere strictly to established legal procedures, The Guardian reported.

Netanyahu, Israel’s first serving prime minister to be indicted, faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust filed in 2019, all of which he has denied, while his supporters continue to characterise the proceedings as politically motivated and destabilising during a period of national crisis.

Legal analysts note that a conviction could result in imprisonment and a prolonged ban from public office, which, given Netanyahu’s age of 76, would effectively terminate his political career.

Trump has repeatedly advocated clemency for Netanyahu through public statements and formal correspondence, actions that have provoked sharp criticism within Israel, where many have argued that such interventions infringe upon national sovereignty and undermine judicial independence.

Reports have also emerged that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, met Herzog earlier this year to explore the possibility of halting the trial, although the Israeli president is said to have made clear that he lacked the authority to cancel ongoing judicial proceedings.

Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request on 30 November, contending that the demands of frequent court appearances hindered his capacity to govern and that clemency would serve the national interest by easing political polarisation.

However, legal experts have reiterated that presidential pardons are traditionally considered only after conviction, and that cancelling an active trial, as sought by Netanyahu and Trump, would represent an unprecedented breach of Israel’s rule of law.

Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, are accused in one case of having accepted luxury goods worth more than $260,000, including cigars, jewellery and champagne, from wealthy businessmen in return for alleged political favours, while in two other cases he is accused of having sought to secure more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.