U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he “should be ashamed of himself”.
Speaking in the Oval Office a day after meeting Netanyahu at the White House, Trump criticised Herzog for not exercising his clemency powers.
“You have a president who refuses to give him a pardon. He should be ashamed of himself,” Trump told reporters. “He is disgraceful for not giving it. He should give it.”
Trump described Netanyahu as an “extraordinary” wartime leader and said Israelis should pressure Herzog to issue a pardon. He has previously urged clemency publicly and sent a letter to Herzog in November 2025 encouraging him to grant it.
Herzog’s office said no decision has been made.
“Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” the president’s office said in a statement.
“For the sake of clarity, as has been explained repeatedly, the Prime Minister’s request is, according to the procedures, under review at the Ministry of Justice for a legal opinion.”
The statement added that only after that process is completed will Herzog consider the request in accordance with the law and “without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind”.
Herzog’s office also stated that the president “deeply appreciates President Trump for his significant contribution to the State of Israel and its security” but stressed that the legal process must run its course.
Trump has publicly urged the Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu several times, and said in late December that Herzog had told him the pardon was on its way. Herzog's office was quick to dispute it.
Netanyahu formally submitted a pardon request on 30 November last year, seeking relief from corruption charges without admitting wrongdoing or stepping down from public life. Despite previously saying he would not seek clemency, he later filed the request.
He has been on trial since 2020 in three cases, known as Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000, involving allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He denies all charges.
Under Israeli law, a presidential pardon can generally only be granted following an admission of guilt, and there is no precedent for issuing one while a trial is ongoing.
Beyond the domestic proceedings, Netanyahu is also facing international legal scrutiny. In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
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