US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, calling for the cessation and full pardon of the corruption investigation being conducted against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This was reported by the Zamon.uz publication.
In his letter, Trump called Netanyahu a "courageous and decisive prime minister in times of war," emphasizing that he is currently leading Israel towards peace. "I ask you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu," Trump wrote, while also expressing respect for the independence of the Israeli judicial system, but called the case against Netanyahu a "political and baseless persecution."
Trump also recalled the achievements made through US mediation in resolving Middle East problems, emphasizing, "Now is the time to allow Bibi, to pardon Israel, and to finish this war and unite the people."
In response, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, expressing respect and gratitude to Trump, replied, "The established procedure for a pardon requires a formal petition from the accused themselves or their close ones. Netanyahu has not made such an appeal."
According to The Jerusalem Post, under current laws, the president can only grant a pardon before a trial begins or after a verdict is issued, and currently the case is not at either of these stages.
For reference, the investigation against Benjamin Netanyahu has been ongoing since 2016. In 2019, he was indicted in three separate criminal cases. The charges against him include corruption, influence peddling with media outlets, and receiving expensive gifts. The prosecution has assessed this as a conflict of interest, while Netanyahu's defenders view these charges as baseless and a result of political pressure.
There are sharp divisions in Israeli public opinion regarding this process — while some say the case has become politicized, others maintain the position that "the law must be the same for everyone."
