AhlulBayt News Agency: US President Donald Trump intensified his criticism of Israeli president Isaac Herzog on Thursday, calling him “disgraceful” for refusing to grant a pardon to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the latter’s corruption trial continues.
Speaking from the Oval Office a day after hosting Netanyahu for a three‑hour meeting at the White House, Trump attacked Herzog for declining to absolve the embattled premier, who faces multiple corruption charges.
“You have a president who refuses to give him a pardon. He should be ashamed of himself… He is disgraceful for not giving it,” Trump told reporters, claiming Herzog was avoiding the move to preserve his own political power.
It remains unclear whether the pardon issue was discussed during Wednesday’s meeting, though Netanyahu had previously encouraged Trump to raise the matter with Herzog.
This is not Trump’s first intervention. During a December meeting at Mar‑a‑Lago, he claimed Herzog had privately told him he intended to pardon Netanyahu — a claim Herzog’s office immediately denied.
Netanyahu formally requested a pardon in early December, triggering intense political debate. Some argued a pardon should only be considered if he admitted wrongdoing and withdrew from political life.
Netanyahu rejected both conditions, insisting he would neither confess nor resign even if granted a pardon.
The legal review of his request is ongoing, as Herzog has not yet received final recommendations from the regime’s legal advisers.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest‑serving prime minister, was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust following years of investigation.
His trial began in 2020, making him the first sitting Israeli premier to testify as a criminal defendant. He faces three separate corruption cases.
Court proceedings have been marked by controversy, with Netanyahu’s legal team repeatedly seeking delays and postponements. During testimony, Netanyahu has contradicted himself on several occasions.
Netanyahu also faces international legal pressure. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for him and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza war, which has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians — mostly women and children — since October 2023.
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