U.S. President Donald Trump managed to trigger controversy in Israel, even on a celebratory occasion marking the return of hostages from Gaza and the end of a two-year war.
On a day of extraordinary moments, one of the most jaw-dropping saw Trump — during his hour-long address to the Knesset in Jerusalem — turning to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to advocate he pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on long-standing fraud and bribery charges.
“Give him a pardon, come on,” Trump said, flashing a grin and pointing to Netanyahu, who he dubbed “one of the greatest” wartime leaders.
It drew an ecstatic burst of applause from the Israeli prime minister’s Likud lawmakers and other supporters in the Knesset, who giddily chanted Netanyahu’s nickname: “Bibi! Bibi!”
Trump added: “Cigars and Champagne, who the hell cares about that? Alright, enough controversy for the day, I don’t think it’s that controversial.”
The remarks underscored Trump’s willingness to wade into Israel’s internal affairs — and to do so in characteristically provocative and undiplomatic fashion to help out an ally.
And, yes, it absolutely would prove controversial in Israel if Herzog attempted to do any such thing — and Trump’s public appeal struck more traditionally minded Israelis as shocking.
This isn’t the first time Trump has called for Netanyahu to be pardoned ahead of a trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, including receiving extravagant gifts, among them cigars and Champagne. The Israeli prime minister was indicted in 2019, with some of the investigations that gave rise to the charges going back to 2015.
The case has been delayed time and again because of legal maneuvers by Netanyahu and his lawyers, as well as because of security and diplomatic concerns during the Gaza War.
Some of Netanyahu’s political foes publicly argued during the war that the Israeli leader wanted to prolong the conflict to delay any legal reckoning in a case set to resume once the guns fall silent.
Netanyahu insists he’s innocent, arguing the cases against him are part of an orchestrated left-wing plot that’s out to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader — the same argument Trump offered in legal cases launched against him. The Prime Minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
In June, Trump echoed Netanyahu in casting the indictment as part of a politically motivated stunt, and urged in a Truth Social post: “Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me. He deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.”
But this time the appeal on Netanyahu’s behalf had added force, coming during the historic occasion of a Middle East peace deal and being delivered from the Knesset’s podium.
And it is prompting a furious backlash from opponents of Netanyahu.
“No way should Bibi be pardoned,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told POLITICO.
“A pardon is granted only when the defendant admits guilt and Bibi will never do that,” Olmert added. If Herzog attempted to pardon him without a confession, “it would become a monumental scandal. And would likely be struck down in the Supreme Court,” he said.
Olmert served a prison term himself for accepting bribes and for obstruction of justice, charges connected to his time as mayor of Jerusalem and as a trade minister.
He was praised across the political spectrum for resigning as party leader and prime minister as the investigations got underway. In his resignation speech he said he was “proud to be a citizen of a country in which a prime minister can be investigated like any other citizen.”
A senior Israeli centrist politician, who was granted anonymity to speak freely as he wished to avoid offending Trump at this time, said the corruption case against Netanyahu is about more than just cigars and Champagne.
Pardoning Netanyahu would imperil Israel’s rule of law and inject even more poison into the country’s already-toxic and polarized politics, the politician said.
“Israel has an independent judicial system, the president can’t pardon the PM without an admission of guilt and a show of remorse. It’s not something that’s legally possible,” he added.
Dahlia Scheindlin, a columnist and pollster, said a Trump-demanded pardon would be a “crude violation of anything resembling a democratic process.”
She added: “Not that Trump demonstrated any interest for democracy or democratic processes in his speech.” Scheindlin said if Herzog decided independently to give Netanyahu a pardon that would be one thing, “but it can’t be an artificial act at the behest of a king-like foreign leader.”
Prosecutors allege Netanyahu exchanged lucrative regulatory favors with media executives for positive coverage, and that he accepted expensive gifts from a billionaire.
More than 140 witnesses have testified against him, including some of Netanyahu’s closest former allies.
In one of the cases, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and Champagne in exchange for political favors.
In two others, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from a pair of Israeli media outlets.
A Netanyahu aide contacted by POLITICO was unable to immediately provide an on-record comment.
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