Trump Urges Israel to Pardon Netanyahu 11/13 06:12

   

   JERUSALEM (AP) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a letter to 
Israel's president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a 
long-running corruption trial that has bitterly divided the country.

   It was the latest attempt by Trump to intervene in the case on behalf of 
Netanyahu, raising questions about undue American influence over internal 
Israeli affairs. Trump also called for a pardon for Netanyahu during a speech 
to Israel's parliament last month, when he made a brief visit to promote his 
ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza.

   In Wednesday's letter to President Isaac Herzog, Trump called the corruption 
case "political, unjustified prosecution."

   "As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the 
terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully 
pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time 
Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace," Trump wrote.

   Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand 
trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in 
three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political 
supporters.

   Netanyahu rejects the allegations, and in Trump-like language has condemned 
the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, police and judiciary.

   In a post on X late Thursday, Netanyahu expressed gratitude toward Trump, 
though it wasn't explicitly tied to the pardon request.

   "Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible support. As usual, you get 
right to the point and call it like it is," he wrote. "I look forward to 
continuing our partnership to bolster security and expand peace."

   Netanyahu has taken the stand multiple times over the past year, but the 
case has been repeatedly delayed as he has dealt with wars and unrest stemming 
from Hamas-led militant attacks of October 2023.

   Israel's presidency is a largely ceremonial office, but the president does 
have the authority to grant pardons.

   Herzog acknowledged receiving the letter, but said that anyone seeking a 
presidential pardon must submit a formal request. Herzog has declined to say 
how he would respond to a request by Netanyahu, saying publicly only that he 
believes the trial has been a distraction and source of division for the 
country and that he would prefer to see Netanyahu and the prosecution reach a 
settlement.

   When Trump called for a pardon in his speech last month, he received a 
raucous standing ovation from Netanyahu's allies in parliament.

   But it has also raised questions about American influence over Israeli 
policies, especially relating to security in the Gaza Strip. Those concerns 
came to a head during a series of visits from senior American leaders, from 
Vice President JD Vance to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Israeli media called 
the visits "Bibi-sitting," a word play on Netanyahu's nickname, saying the 
officials were coming to ensure that Israel continues to hold up its side of 
the fragile ceasefire. Both Netanyahu and Vance rejected the suggestions and 
say the countries have a tight partnership.

   Opposition leader Yair Lapid noted that the pardon could have unintended 
consequences for Netanyahu. "Reminder: Israeli law stipulates that the first 
condition for receiving a pardon is an admission of guilt and an expression of 
remorse for those actions," he wrote on X.

   According to Israeli law, a presidential pardon can only happen for 
Netanyahu if Netanyahu makes a formal request, which sets in motion a long 
procedure that includes recommendations from the Justice Ministry, said Amir 
Fuchs, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem-based think tank Israel Democracy 
Institute and an expert in constitutional law.

   Fuchs added that pardons are usually issued for people who are convicted of 
a crime. "Pardon is a word for forgiveness, a pardon without some kind of 
admission of guilt is very unusual and even illegal," said Fuchs.

   He also said that if a pardon were granted after the Trump letter, it risked 
giving a "green light" to corruption. "The message will be undermining of rule 
of law," he said.

   In June, Trump also condemned Netanyahu's trial as a "WITCH HUNT," using the 
same language that both he and Netanyahu have long used to describe their legal 
woes. Both contend they are the victims of hostile media, crooked law 
enforcement and political opponents.