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The US president told reporters that Isaac Herzog should be “ashamed” for not pardoning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery charges.
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Published February 12, 2026
President Donald Trump is increasing pressure on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing bribery charges.
The US president told reporters Thursday that the Israeli prime minister was an “extraordinary” leader during the war. He also accused Herzog of not granting Netanyahu a presidential pardon.
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President Trump said of Herzog, “We have a president who refuses to pardon him. I think that person should be ashamed.”
He added that Israelis should pressure Herzog to grant amnesty to Prime Minister Netanyahu.
President Trump said, “It’s shameful that you didn’t donate. You should donate.”
Trump’s comments came a day after he hosted Netanyahu at the White House, the seventh meeting between the two leaders since the US president returned to power last year.
The accusations against Prime Minister Netanyahu include accepting lavish gifts as bribes and negotiating deals with news media owners to provide favorable coverage of his government.
His first trial began in 2020, but the legal process has been repeatedly interrupted by geopolitical upheavals in the region, including Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
The United States had previously asked Mr. Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial but has been given clemency powers, to pardon Mr. Netanuav.
But with Thursday’s rebuke from Israel’s president, Trump appears to be directly asserting himself in domestic politics.
Mr. Netanyahu’s push for pardon highlights the extraordinary bond between Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu, two right-wing politicians who have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to weather scandals and legal problems.
“I have an idea, Mr. President, why don’t you pardon him?” Trump said in a speech to Israel’s Congress last October. “Who cares about cigars and champagne?”
Herzog has previously said clemency requests must follow normal reviews and procedures under the country’s laws.
In addition to his domestic legal problems, Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant at the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon of war.
