Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Thursday that he has not yet reached a decision regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his ongoing corruption trials, despite facing sharp criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The statement comes after Trump publicly called Herzog’s handling of the matter “disgraceful” during a White House press conference.
Herzog’s office emphasized that the pardon request is currently undergoing a thorough legal review at the Ministry of Justice, following established procedural protocols. The presidential office made clear that any decision would be made strictly in accordance with Israeli law and without yielding to external or internal pressures of any kind.
The controversy intensified when Trump, during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington for bilateral talks, used his platform to criticize Herzog directly. Trump stated that Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not immediately granting the pardon, going so far as to suggest that Israeli citizens should express their disapproval of their president’s deliberative approach.
Netanyahu faces serious allegations across three separate corruption cases. Two cases involve accusations that he negotiated favorable media coverage from Israeli news outlets in exchange for regulatory benefits. The third case centers on claims that Netanyahu accepted over $260,000 worth of luxury gifts from billionaire associates in return for political favors. A fourth corruption charge was previously dismissed by the courts.
The embattled prime minister, who has consistently maintained his innocence throughout all proceedings, holds the unfortunate distinction of being Israel’s first sitting prime minister to face trial on corruption charges. The legal proceedings began in 2019, and Netanyahu has repeatedly characterized them as a “political trial” designed to undermine his leadership. Following Trump’s address to the Israeli parliament in October, where he first publicly urged Herzog to grant clemency, Netanyahu’s legal team formally submitted a pardon request to the presidential office.