Officials at the Israeli President’s office expressed surprise and anger following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly questioned why President Isaac Herzog has not granted a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the President’s office, Trump asserted that Herzog has the authority to issue a pardon to the prime minister but is choosing not to do so, a stance Trump described as embarrassing and unjustified.
Presidential officials further suggested that Netanyahu may have sought Trump’s involvement in the matter, as was claimed when Trump first suggested it. Aides told Channel 12 News that the president and his team spent the weekend trying to determine who prompted Trump to act in this manner toward Israel’s head of state. They indicated that if the prime minister played any role in encouraging such intervention, it would constitute a serious breach of accepted boundaries, and they expect explanations from Netanyahu.
The aides said the remarks were viewed not only as a personal insult to the president but also as an affront to Israel’s sovereignty and standing as a state.
In an official response, the Israeli President’s office reiterated that any request related to a pardon is, under established procedures, first handled by the Ministry of Justice for a legal opinion. Only after that process is completed will the president review the matter in accordance with the law, the interests of the state, and his own conscience, without yielding to internal or external pressure.
The statement also emphasized that President Herzog holds President Trump in high regard for his contributions to Israel and its security, while stressing that Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law. It clarified that, despite impressions created by Trump’s comments, President Herzog has not yet made any decision regarding the issue.
Netanyahu's staff responded: "President Trump's statement on Sunday was made on his own initiative. Prime Minister Netanyahu heard about it in the media and did not know about it in advance, just as he did not know in advance about President Trump's statement on this issue in his speech to the Knesset."