Trump Sends Formal Request to Herzong for Netanyahu Pardon; Israeli President Responds: "Must Submit Official Application"

Israeli President Isaac Herzog received an official letter on Wednesday from former US Donald Trump, urging him to consider granting a pardon to the current Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, regarding his ongoing corruption cases.

Trump's letter stated that pardoning Netanyahu would be a "significant step toward unifying Israel after difficult years." Trump emphasized his belief that Netanyahu "has steadfastly defended Israel in the face of strong adversaries, and that the case filed against him is political and unwarranted."

The former US President continued in his letter by suggesting that the time had come to end the "legal war" against Netanyahu, especially after achieving what he called unprecedented successes like "gaining control over Hamas and achieving unprecedented achievements," urging the Israeli President to "give Netanyahu a chance for a pardon."

It is worth noting that Trump had previously voiced this idea publicly during his speech before the Knesset last month, specifically on the day twenty Israeli hostages were released. On that occasion, Trump made a direct appeal to a seemingly surprised Herzog, saying: "I have an idea, Mr. President, why don't you pardon him?"

Herzog's Response and Internal Division:

Responding to Trump's formal letter, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated that the legal procedures in Israel mandate that "whoever seeks a pardon must submit an official application, as is customary in Israel."

Trump's request immediately exposed a sharp division within the Israeli political landscape:

The Opposition (Yair Lapid): Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid took to X (formerly Twitter), stressing that "Israeli law stipulates that the first condition for granting a pardon is the admission of guilt and expression of remorse for the actions," pointing out Netanyahu's refusal to admit any wrongdoing.

The Far-Right (Itamar Ben-Gvir): Conversely, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged President Herzog to heed Trump's call and pardon Netanyahu. In a tweet on X, Ben-Gvir stated: "We tell President Herzog, listen to Trump and issue a pardon for Netanyahu in the fabricated cases, because that is the correct procedure."