President Trump publicly urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of his bribery charges in a stunning off-script moment during his triumphant speech to the Knesset on Monday.
“Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon? Give him a pardon,” Trump said during his rousing address to the Israeli parliament, triggering a big applause.
“By the way, that wasn’t in the speech, as you probably know, but I happen to like this gentleman right over here,” Trump continued.
“It just seems to make so much sense. You know whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime [leaders].”
“And cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?”
Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, had been indicted in 2019 for charges of breach of trust, bribery and fraud.
The charges revolve around three cases and include accusations that the PM and his wife reaped lavish gifts such as champagne and cigars from the Israeli wealthy elite.
Netanyahu is also accused of offering Yedioth Ahronoth, an Israeli newspaper, and telecom giant Bezeq assistance in exchange for more positive coverage of himself.
Prosecutors rested their case last year, and defense attorneys have cross-examined witnesses in a long, drawn-out process.
Netanyahu had been set to testify, but that has been delayed due to scheduling snarls.
The prime minister has vehemently denied the allegations against him. So far, the trial has featured testimony from over 140 witnesses, including once close allies, and a wide array of evidence such as text messages and recordings.
Both Netanyahu and Herzog had once been fierce political rivals.
Herzog had led the opposition against Netanyahu from 2013 to 2018. Netanyahu is a member of the center-right Likud party, while Herzog had been a member of the center-left Labor Party.
As president, Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu and has expressed openness to doing so in the past.
“The Netanyahu case weighs heavily on Israeli society. If there is a request or any process, I will divulge this to the public with full transparency,” Herzog told Israel’s Army Radio last month. “I will consider what’s best for the state and all other considerations.”
Trump is a deeply popular figure in Israeli politics, but Netanyahu is not.
Over the weekend, special envoy Steve Witkoff addressed a crowd in Tel Aviv and drew boos at the mere mention of Netanyahu but cheers when he namedropped Trump.
While Trump has generally had a chummy rapport with Netanyahu in the public eye, the two haven’t always seen eye to eye.
“He is not easy, I want to tell you,” Trump said of Netanyahu at another point in his speech. “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with —but that’s what makes him great.”
Late last month, during Netanyahu’s White House visit, Trump pushed him to apologize to his Qatari counterpart for the failed Sept. 9 attack in Qatar.
After pushing Netanyahu to accept his 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war, Trump reportedly grew agitated when the prime minister expressed no interest in celebrating the proposal.
“I don’t know why you’re always so f–ing negative. This is a win. Take it,” Trump vented to him, Axios reported.
During the 2024 campaign cycle, Trump also repeatedly lashed out at Netanyahu amid his apparent anger that the Israeli PM supposedly pulled out of a planned attack to take out late Iranian Gen Qasem Soleimani and frustration that he acknowledged former President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
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