Tel Aviv / Florida, December 30, 2025 – Israeli President Isaac Herzog has denied claims by former US President Donald Trump that the two discussed a pardon request for Israel’s embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump, speaking at a joint press briefing with Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago residence on Monday, insisted that Herzog had assured him the pardon would be granted. “I spoke to the president (Herzog) and he tells me (the pardon) is on its way,” Trump said, standing beside a smiling Netanyahu.
The request comes as Netanyahu faces multiple corruption charges, including allegations of accepting luxury gifts—cigars, jewellery, and champagne—worth over $260,000 from billionaires in exchange for political favours, and negotiating favourable coverage from Israeli media outlets. Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing and described the trials, ongoing since 2019, as a “political trial.”
Herzog’s office clarified that while a representative spoke to him regarding Trump’s letter, there has been no direct conversation between Herzog and Trump about granting the pardon. “During that conversation, an explanation was provided regarding the stage of the process in which the request currently stands, and that any decision will follow established procedures,” the statement said.
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial for corruption, has maintained that the legal proceedings are politically motivated. Trump, meanwhile, has frequently alleged that judicial and prosecutorial systems are weaponised against him and other political allies.
As the saga unfolds, attention is focused on Israel’s judiciary, political stability, and the international optics of the US president intervening in the legal matters of a foreign leader.
