Israeli President Isaac Herzog reiterated on Thursday his support for a plea deal in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ongoing criminal trial, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's call to cancel the "witch hunt" against the premier in the wake of the Iran war.

"It would be appropriate for Netanyahu's trial to conclude at this time with an agreed-upon plea bargain," the head of state's office stated in remarks cited by local media. He urged Netanyahu and prosecutors to "engage as soon as possible in intensive dialogue, with the good of the country in mind, as the court itself has recommended several times."

Regarding the possibility of a pardon, he stated, "In Israel, the pardon process begins with a formal request from the concerned individual."

In a lengthy social-media post on Wednesday, Trump noted that Netanyahu has been summoned to the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday for the continuation of what he described as a "politically motivated" case aimed at doing the Israeli leader "great harm."

According to Trump, Netanyahu is being forced to continue a "horror show" that has dragged on since May 2020 — the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has ever faced trial. He dismissed the charges as related to "cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll and numerous other unfair" accusations.

Trump called for the proceedings to be "canceled immediately" or for the prime minister to be pardoned, calling the proceedings a "witch hunt" against a "hero who has done so much for the State [of Israel]."

"It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu," he stated, in what some analysts suggested was a threat to sanction prosecutors.

Responding to Trump, members of Netanyahu's coalition government renewed their calls for the charges against the premier to be dropped.

"While prosecutors were busy preparing the prime minister's cross-examination, Netanyahu focused on discussions and preparations for Israel's historic campaign in Iran," said Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

"Since the prosecution refuses to consider any of the available paths to end this saga, it's no wonder that there is a growing call for a pardon. So when the president of the United States calls for canceling the trial or granting a pardon, can anyone really say he's wrong?" he added.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said that while Israel is "an independent and sovereign state," Trump's call was "absolutely right."

"It's time to cancel the absurd trial fabricated by the Deep State in an attempt to carry out a coup against democracy," he wrote on X.

Tally Gotliv, a lawmaker for Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, went a step further, urging Trump to "impose personal sanctions on those pursuing the prime minister while acting out of malicious and political motives."

"First and foremost, I propose imposing sanctions on Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, who are severely harming the Netanyahu-led government's ability to govern and lead Israel to the defeat of its enemies," suggested the firebrand MK.

Religious Zionism Party lawmaker Simcha Rothman, who chairs the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, in an X post called on Herzog to "put an end to this foolish saga in the most elegant way."

According to the key coalition lawmaker, it is "not the role of the U.S. president to intervene in judicial proceedings in the State of Israel."

"Israel's sovereignty and the independence of its judiciary are values that matter to all of us, including Netanyahu," Rothman wrote.

If Herzog refuses to grant a pardon, lawmakers "can and should" do so, he said, while noting that Israel's president "clearly has this authority."

On the other side of the political spectrum, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid Party said that Trump "shouldn't be interfering" in the trial.

"If we quote Rothman — and this is the first time in my life I've said that sentence — with all due respect to Trump, he shouldn't interfere in the judicial process of an independent country," said the left-wing leader.

Gilad Kariv, of Israel's far-left The Democrats Party, addressed Trump on X, writing in a post that "Jewish tradition teaches us that no person is above the law; not even a premier."

"We have instilled this important principle in the laws of our Jewish-democratic state," he added.

Meanwhile, former Israeli Supreme Court President Aharon Barak, widely regarded as a progressive justice hostile to Netanyahu, expressed his support for ending the criminal trial on Thursday.

"I'm in favor of an agreement with Netanyahu," he told Israel's Makor Rishon weekly. "It doesn't matter whether it's a pardon or a plea deal — the main thing is that we reach an agreement. This could lead to calm."

"I don't know why it's not happening. If it were up to me, I'd make an effort to reach an agreement," said the former Supreme Court justice.

Netanyahu was indicted for alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust in January 2020. The Jewish state's longtime leader has denied all charges.

This JNS.org report was republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.