Trump Calls on Israeli President to Pardon Netanyahu Amid Ongoing Corruption Trial

US President Donald Trump has called on his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Indicted in 2019, Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. The trial, which began in 2020, has seen numerous delays and is expected to drag on for several more years.

Trump reportedly told Axios on Tuesday that Netanyahu, a long-time ally who co-launched the unprovoked war on Iran with him, has complained that he will have to appear in court instead of concentrating on the conflict that is strangling the global economy. The US president reportedly expressed incredulity, saying "In the middle of a war? Give me a break!"

According to the publication, Trump went on to claim that he likes Israeli President Herzog and that he "will be a national hero if he gives Bibi a pardon." The US president recently derided Herzog as "weak and pathetic" for not pardoning Netanyahu. "Bibi is a wartime prime minister. He can't have this hanging over his head," Trump reportedly argued in his latest interview with Axios. He also suggested that Netanyahu's trial makes Israel "look bad."

Earlier this week, Herzog invited Netanyahu's lawyers, the attorney general, and the state prosecutor to negotiate a potential settlement, clarifying that he will not consider a plea until that avenue was exhausted. Commenting on the prospect of a deal that will likely require an admission of guilt, Trump said that Netanyahu "can't take" a settlement and needs a full pardon, as quoted by Axios.

Late last year, the outlet claimed that the Israeli prime minister had asked the US president for more help in his push for a pardon. A month earlier, Trump sent an official letter to the Israeli president, insisting that "the 'case' against Bibi… is a political, unjustified prosecution." "I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu," the US president wrote at the time. In June 2025, Trump similarly characterized the charges against his Middle Eastern ally as a "WITCH HUNT."