The US president and Israeli prime minister called the corruption charges against them “unjustified” and described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “horrible” leader.
US President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking for a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling corruption charges against the Israeli prime minister “political” and “unwarranted.”
President Trump’s letter on Wednesday came a month after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Gaza Strip went into effect, ushering in a fragile truce amid daily attacks and aid restrictions by Israel.
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In his letter, the US president cited Netanyahu’s leadership in the war, which has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, including at least 20,000 children, and which UN investigators have described as genocide.
“I hereby call for a full pardon for Benjamin Netanyahu, a formidable and decisive wartime prime minister who is now leading Israel into an era of peace, including continued collaboration with key leaders in the Middle East to add more countries to the world-changing Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.
Several Israeli media outlets published copies of the letter on Wednesday.
With this letter, President Trump appears to be trying to move deeper into Israeli domestic politics and reward the Israeli prime minister for agreeing to a ceasefire.
The call also highlights President Trump’s growing support for the same right-wing leader internationally. Earlier this year, the United States bailed out Argentina’s economy with $40 billion under President Javier Millay.
In Wednesday’s letter, President Trump reiterated the false belief that he had secured “at least 3,000 years” of peace in the region. Israel was founded in 1948, and the Zionist movement that colonized Palestine was founded in the late 1800s.
The US president made a similar call for an end to the corruption scandal against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a speech in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, last month.
But he addressed the Israeli president more directly in his letter.
“Isaac, we have had a great relationship, and I am very grateful and honored for it. Shortly after taking office in January, we agreed that our focus should be on finally getting the hostages home and reaching a peace agreement,” Trump wrote.
“Now that we have achieved such unprecedented success in keeping Hamas in check, it is time to unite Israel by pardoning Bibi and ending his legal actions once and for all.”
Although the Israeli presidency is a largely ceremonial post, the president retains the power to grant pardons.
However, because Netanyahu’s trial is ongoing, Prime Minister Herzog cannot issue a pardon until the verdict is out.
Herzog responded to Trump’s letter on Wednesday, saying he must apply for a pardon through a specified process.
“The President greatly respects President Trump and reiterates his gratitude for his unwavering support for Israel and his significant contributions to the return of hostages, the rebuilding of the Middle East and Gaza, and ensuring Israel’s security,” the Israeli presidential office said in a statement, according to the Times of Israel.
“Without prejudice to the foregoing, as the President has made clear many times, those seeking pardon must submit a formal application following established procedures.”
Trump himself has faced criminal charges since becoming the first president, including for describing election interference as a “witch hunt.”
