President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog should be "ashamed of himself" for not giving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon on corruption charges.
"He's disgraceful for not giving it. He should give it," Trump said during a White House event, saying Netanyahu has been a great wartime prime minister and that the Israeli people should shame Herzog for not pardoning him.
Trump made the comments after meeting with Netanyahu on Wednesday, the seventh time the two have met since Trump took office last year.
The two discussed a deal on Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic missiles.
Netanyahu was charged in 2019 with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies the charges.
Herzog's office said Netanyahu's request was under review at the Israeli Ministry of Justice for a legal opinion, and once that process was completed, Herzog would consider the request.
"Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law. Contrary to the impression created by President Trump's remarks, President Herzog has not yet made any decision on this matter," Herzog's office said.
In December, Trump said Herzog had told him a pardon for Netanyahu was "on its way," an assertion Herzog's office was quick to challenge.
"He's a wartime prime minister who's a hero. How do you not give a pardon?" Trump said at the time.
Netanyahu's pardon request, submitted Nov. 30, argued that frequent court hearings impair his ability to govern and that clemency serves the national interest.
The appeal was lodged following the start of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, as his government sought to bring an end to Hamas' rule under Trump's plan to end two years of war and expand diplomatic ties across the region.
The request by the six-time prime minister had drawn fierce criticism from opponents, who said that pardoning him mid-trial would be a total breach of the rule of law.
According to Israeli law, the president has authority to pardon convicts. But there is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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