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Netanyahu asked US President Donald Trump for continued support in his bid for a presidential pardon in Israel, days after formally requesting clemency from President Isaac Herzog in his corruption case.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Photo: AP)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 3, 2025 01:53 IST
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday asked US President Donald Trump to continue supporting his push for a presidential pardon, Axios reported, citing two US officials and one Israeli official.
The call came a day after Netanyahu submitted a formal 111-page request to Israeli President Isaac Herzog seeking a pardon that would end his ongoing corruption trial. Netanyahu said the move would allow him to focus on national security and regional diplomacy.
Herzog’s office confirmed receiving the submission and passed it to the Justice Ministry’s pardons department. The president is also seeking his own legal advice before making a decision, a process that officials say could take up to two months. The statement from Herzog’s office underscored the gravity of the moment, calling it an extraordinary request with significant implications.
During Monday’s long call, the two leaders spoke mainly about Gaza and Syria, but Trump again waded into Israel’s domestic judicial battles. According to the Axios report, Netanyahu pressed Trump to keep advocating for the pardon — something the American president has already done publicly and privately.
Last month, Trump wrote to Herzog describing the charges as political lawfare and urging him to clear the prime minister. Trump has also continued to push for deeper Israel-Syria dialogue, a potential non-aggression pact and a post-war roadmap for Gaza. Netanyahu’s office said Trump has invited him to the White House in the near future, which would mark his fifth visit since Trump returned to office in January.
Netanyahu is seeking to halt a trial that began in 2020 and includes accusations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Israeli legal experts note that a pre-conviction pardon for a sitting prime minister — especially without an admission of guilt — would be unprecedented and politically explosive. The only comparable case dates back to 1986, involving the Shin Bet security service.
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Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Dec 3, 2025
