Trump Writes Letter Urging Israeli President Herzog To Pardon Netanyahu

President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a formal letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose corruption trial has dragged on since 2020.

Trump praised Netanyahu as a wartime leader and framed the prosecution as political, according to Reuters. Herzog’s office confirmed receipt and pointed to Israel’s rules for clemency, noting that “anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.” (RELATED: Alan Dershowitz Makes Case For Pardoning Netanyahu)

“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,” Trump wrote, adding that the cases are a “political, unjustified prosecution.”

U.S. President Donald Trump (@POTUS) sent a letter to Israeli President @Isaac_Herzog, in which he asserts “it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.”

President Herzog’s response, “…anyone seeking a Presidential pardon must… pic.twitter.com/K76rMFP0QY

— Jonathan Hessen (@JonathanHessen) November 12, 2025

Netanyahu is on trial in three cases that include charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He has pleaded not guilty and calls the prosecution a bid to remove him from power. Israel’s president has authority to grant pardons, though Israeli legal analysts note requests are typically filed by the defendant or immediate family and are rare while a case is ongoing, The Times of Israel reported.

The letter follows months of debate inside Israel over whether a plea or pardon could end a judicial saga that has consumed the country’s politics. Herzog has previously said he wants to see Israelis “move past” the divisions but has not indicated how he would handle any formal pardon petition from Netanyahu, the Times reported.