Key points: Israel’s President Isaac Herzog denied that he told former U.S. President Donald Trump a pardon for Benjamin Netanyahu was imminent. Herzog’s office said there was no direct conversation about a decision after Netanyahu’s Nov. 30 clemency petition, only an explanation to a Trump aide about the request’s status. Trump has repeatedly urged clemency while the Jerusalem District Court has refused to delay Netanyahu’s trial, which began in 2020 and involves charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery.
Herzog Rejects Trump’s Claim That Netanyahu Pardon Is ‘On Its Way’
Trump's account of where things stand regarding a pardon for his pal Netanyahu was promptly denied by Israel's president. / Joe Raedle / Getty Images
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog has publicly denied former U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement that the two had discussed and agreed on a pardon for Benjamin Netanyahu, saying no such decision or direct conversation took place after Netanyahu’s Nov. 30 clemency petition.
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago beside Netanyahu, Trump said he had spoken to Herzog and that a pardon for the Israeli leader was "on its way." Trump, who has repeatedly urged clemency for Netanyahu and has called the prime minister a wartime hero, told reporters: "How do you not? He’s a wartime prime minister who’s a hero. How do you not give a pardon?"
Trump requested a pardon from Herzog (left) during an October trip to Israel. / Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Herzog’s office pushed back, saying there had been no conversation between Herzog and Trump about a pardon since the clemency request was submitted. Instead, the president spoke with a Trump aide and provided "an explanation" about the stage of the legal process in which the request currently stands, according to CNN. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Legal Background And Political Pressure
Netanyahu, 76, faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery—allegations he denies. Prosecutors say he accepted expensive gifts such as cigars and champagne from businessmen in exchange for favors, struck a deal with a newspaper publisher for favorable coverage, and promised regulatory changes affecting the telecom company Bezeq to win better treatment from the Walla news site.
The letter Donald Trump sent to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. / Herzog's office
Trump, who was convicted of a felony in 2024, has likened Netanyahu’s trial to his own past indictments and repeatedly called the proceedings a "witch hunt." In June he urged either a postponement of Netanyahu’s trial or a presidential pardon; in October he reiterated the plea directly to Herzog in a speech to the Israeli parliament and later submitted a written request calling the trial an "unjustified prosecution."
The Jerusalem District Court declined to delay the trial. A three-judge panel said that Netanyahu’s motion to postpone "does not present a detailed basis or reason that might justify canceling evidentiary hearings." The trial, which began in 2020, encompasses three separate cases and remains ongoing.
Bottom line: Herzog’s office says no pardon decision was communicated to Trump; any discussion was limited to clarifying where the clemency request stands in Israel’s process.
