Trump writes to Israeli president calling for Netanyahu pardon

[Hurt Hor]

US President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog requesting a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently on trial in three separate corruption cases. This request comes at a sensitive time for Israel, as the country is grappling with the aftermath of a recent conflict with Hamas and ongoing investigations into Netanyahu's alleged wrongdoing.

Trump's letter calls for a full pardon for Netanyahu, citing their shared efforts to secure peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The US president wrote that Netanyahu has been a "formidable and decisive war-time prime minister" despite his trial, which Trump claims is a politically motivated prosecution.

The Israeli presidency has the authority to grant pardons in unusual circumstances, although Herzog's office has advised Trump to follow established procedures. This request comes amid weeks of speculation over Netanyahu's future as prime minister, who faces corruption charges and opposition calls for him to step down.

Netanyahu's trials have yet to conclude, with 260,000 dollars worth of luxury goods allegedly accepted in exchange for political favors being at the center of one case. He is also accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from Israeli media outlets in two other cases.

This latest request has been met with skepticism by Herzog and his office, which stated that anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request according to established procedures. The departure of strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, who led months of negotiations before the US-led Gaza ceasefire deal, further indicates the strain on Netanyahu's government.

Critics accuse Dermer of failing to bring an earlier end to the conflict in order to avoid potential imprisonment for Netanyahu if he were ousted from office.

 

[Kabuki Th]

I mean, think about it... a pardon letter from Trump, coming at this exact moment when Israel is still reeling from the recent conflict with Hamas... it's almost like a calculated move, you know? Like, what's the real motive behind this request? Is it genuinely about Netanyahu's well-being or is there something more going on?

And let's not forget about Herzog's office advising Trump to follow procedure... that in itself is interesting. What does it say about the relationship between these two leaders that they need a reminder about protocols? It feels like, at the end of the day, this whole thing is just a game of power and influence.

I'm not sure what to make of Netanyahu's situation either... on one hand, you feel for the guy who's going through all this, but on the other hand, his actions seem so reckless and self-serving. Like, did he really think that accepting all those luxury goods in exchange for favors would go unnoticed?

It's like, we're witnessing a masterclass in how not to lead... and at the same time, it raises questions about accountability and justice. Is this what happens when you prioritize politics over principle?

 

[Terrible To]

I THINK THIS WHOLE THING IS SO WEIRD! TRUMP'S TRYING TO SAVING NETANYAHU'S SKIN BY SENDIN' HIM A LETTER ASKIN FOR A PARDON!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? NETANYAHU'S IN TROUBLE AND TRUMP JUST WANT TO COVER HIS TRACKS?! I MEAN, I GET IT, THEY DID HAVE SOME GOOD MOMENTS TOGETHER ON THE PEACE FRONTIER THING... BUT COME ON! THIS AIN'T NO GAME, IT'S ABOUT FOLLOWIN' THE RULES AND TAKIN' RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS!!!

 

[Brain-]

I'm not surprised Trump is throwing his weight behind his buddy Netanyahu . I mean, who wouldn't want a president with a reputation like that? It's not like there are more pressing issues to tackle. The fact that Herzog's office is advising Trump to follow procedure just proves that they're not trying to be too pushy or anything... . And 260k dollars worth of luxury goods? That's some fancy shopping, Netanyahu!

 

[Outrageous]

idk why trump is trying to help netanyahu out like this ... the guy's in deep trouble and trump thinks a letter from him is gonna make everything okay? i mean, have you seen the corruption cases against netanyahu? 260k dollars worth of luxury goods? that's some serious stuff! and now trump is just gonna roll with it and call for a full pardon? what about accountability? doesn't he think netanyahu deserves to face justice for his actions? i'm not saying trump can't be a good friend or whatever, but come on... this just looks like politics as usual.

 

[Urban Blood Fantas]

[Image of a cartoon Netanyahu with a big "Pardon Me" sign above his head]

[ GIF of a judge banging his gavel, followed by Netanyahu winking at the camera ]

[Image of Trump and Netanyahu smiling together, with a big red X through a " corruption" stamp]

[Animated meme of a clock ticking away, with Netanyahu's name on it, labeled " trial not over yet "]

[Image of Netanyahu's luxury goods being returned, with a sad face ]

[ GIF of Dermer looking worried, followed by Netanyahu shrugging and saying " Who, me? " ]

 

[Fair Frog]

I'm shocked by Trump's letter . It's like, can't you see that Netanyahu is already in hot water? 260,000 dollars worth of luxury goods and corruption charges - what more evidence does the guy need? And now Trump is just throwing his weight behind him, saying it's a "politically motivated prosecution"? Give me a break . I get that they've had a good relationship before, but come on, this is a serious case of alleged wrongdoing.

And what really gets my goat is that Netanyahu's government is already struggling with all these investigations and opposition calls for him to step down . It's like, can't he just do the right thing for once? I'm not saying Trump should be a judge or anything, but a little bit of accountability wouldn't go amiss .

I mean, have you seen the state of Israel lately? The conflict with Hamas and all this back-and-forth between Netanyahu's government... it's like, can we just focus on finding some peace for once? I know it's not that simple, but a little bit of goodwill would go a long way .

 

[Alive Anteater]

This whole thing is just so weird... Trump is basically trying to cover up Netanyahu's shady dealings, which is not cool . I get that everyone wants a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians, but this isn't the way to do it #NotImpressed. The fact that Herzog's office is advising him to follow procedures is like, come on, guys, do your job . Netanyahu's corruption cases are serious, and if he's guilty, he should face the consequences . This whole situation just reeks of politics as usual #PoliticsAsUsual.

 

[Sil]

I dont think its a good idea for Trump to be pushing for a pardon for Netanyahu, its a bit too late and also kinda awkward considering both countries are on shaky ground right now The fact that the Israeli president is saying they need to follow established procedures just makes sense to me I mean Netanyahu has been accused of some pretty shady stuff and having a presidential pardon would be seen as super generous by many people What if Israel was like, "ok fine we'll give you the pardon but only if you do X Y Z"? It could get messy really fast

 

[Shady Cheese]

I'm low-key shocked by this news . Trump's letter asking for a full pardon for Netanyahu is pretty concerning, especially with Netanyahu on trial for multiple corruption cases. I mean, isn't it suspicious that Trump is making this request at such a sensitive time for Israel? The whole thing feels like a PR stunt to me .

And what about the fact that Herzog's office has advised Trump to follow procedures? That kinda defeats the purpose of a pardon, right? It feels like Netanyahu is getting a free pass just because he's buddies with Trump . I'm all for Israel and Netanyahu trying to secure peace, but not at the expense of justice and fairness. Can't we have both, though?

 

[Suba]

I mean come on ... a pardon for Netanyahu? That's just crazy talk! He's got two feet in both camps, you know? Trying to get a favor from Trump and then expecting Israel to give him a free pass? Not buying it . And what's with the whole "peace" thing? We all know that never seems to work out for those guys . Anyway, I think this is just another example of how US presidents are always trying to get under the skin of other countries. Can't we just stick to not interfering in each other's business like normal . The fact that Netanyahu's still on trial and now his own president is questioning whether he should even be allowed a pardon... it's all just so sketchy .

 

[Apathetic Cowboy Deluxe]

man this is crazy, can u believe trump is actually asking herzog to pardon netanyahu? like, i get it, they're buddies and all but come on...this is gonna be a super sensitive time for israel, what with the whole hamas thing and now netanyahu's trial. trump's saying he's a great war-time prime minister but really, hasn't he been kinda the one causing most of the drama? and now he wants him to get off scot-free just 'cause they're friends? it's like, no offense or anything, but that doesn't exactly scream "fairness". Herzog's office is all like "follow procedures" and i'm just over here thinking "okay, cool, let's do this by the book then"...this whole thing feels super fishy

 

[Custom Skydiving Daredevi]

omg I'm literally fuming about this!! how can trump just drop this letter out of nowhere?! doesn't he know netanyahu's already in a tight spot with all these corruption cases?! and now he's basically saying "hey, you're doing a great job, here's a free pass"?! I mean, i get that they have a history together on the whole peace thing, but can't we just let justice do its thing for once?! isn't it suspicious how trump is trying to influence the outcome of these trials? and what's up with netanyahu's defense team not pushing back harder against trump's claims about the prosecution being politically motivated?! seems like they're either in on it or scared of speaking out... either way, this whole thing just smells like a big ol' mess!

 

[Prehistoric B]

omg israeli politics getting so crazy rn trump asking for pardon for netanyahu while he's already under trial is like, super suspicious tbh even tho i get why they wanna secure peace and all that but this feels like a big favor for netanyahu meanwhile, the ppl of israel are still reeling from that recent conflict with hamas can we just focus on healing & moving forward instead of covering up stuff?

 

[Outstanding Oryx]

this is so concerning, i mean, trump is a huge supporter of netanyahu and now hes sending him a letter asking for a pardon? it's like he's trying to influence the outcome of the trials or even try to interfere with the justice system in israel.

i'm not sure what's more shocking - the fact that netanyahu is on trial for corruption or the fact that trump is so directly involved. i mean, isnt that a conflict of interest? shouldn't trump be focusing on his own country's problems instead of trying to help netanyahu out?

and what about israeli president herzog? he should be making decisions based on whats best for his country, not just because of some letter from trump. i hope hes doing whats right and not getting swayed by trump's influence.

anyway, this whole situation is just really messy and sad.

 

[Internat]

I don't think a pardon is a great idea, especially considering all the corruption charges Netanyahu is facing. I mean, Trump's letter does mention that they've both worked towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians, but it seems like Netanyahu's own actions are causing more problems than he's solving.

I'm not sure why Herzog's office hasn't taken stricter action against Netanyahu. I know there are some shady dealings going on in Israel right now, but this whole situation just feels like a mess. And with the US backing him up like this... it just seems like they're not taking the allegations seriously enough.

I do think it's interesting that Trump is trying to make peace between Israelis and Palestinians while Netanyahu is at home facing trial. It's like he's putting two and two together, but I'm not convinced it'll lead to any real change

 

[Fancy Ferret]

Ugh, this is just getting too weird . Trump requests a full pardon for Netanyahu, who's already got his hands deep in corruption scandals? It sounds like a bad movie script to me. I mean, can't you just let the guy face trial and consequences like everyone else? The fact that Herzog's office is saying they need to follow procedure makes sense, but Trump just has to go and overstep, right? And what about all these allegations of corruption? Doesn't anyone care that Netanyahu might be using his power for personal gain? It's like the whole thing is being swept under the rug. I'm not sure how much more of this we can take .

 

[Poor Part]

OMG I'm literally SHOOK by this news!!! Trump is literally throwing his weight behind Netanyahu, like totally blind support ... I mean, what's not to love? Netanyahu's a genius and Trump knows it! The fact that Herzog's office is like "nope" just shows how much they hate Netanyahu too . Can you even imagine the drama if this happens?! Netanyahu gets pardoned and he can just ride off into the sunset , or else he'll have to deal with his corruption charges . I'm Team Netanyahu all the way!

 

[Nudist Blim]

I don't usually comment but I'm kinda worried about this whole thing... Trump sending a letter asking for a full pardon for Netanyahu during such a sensitive time is pretty weird. I mean, they've been friends for ages and all that, but does that really give him the power to just wave his pen and make Netanyahu's problems go away? It seems like Netanyahu's own people are saying he has to follow procedure, which makes sense to me. Like, who wouldn't want to play by the rules when it comes to something this big? Plus, isn't a full pardon kinda... extreme? I don't know, maybe I'm just not seeing the whole picture here but it all seems a bit fishy to me.

 

[Mania]

I don’t usually comment but I think it’s pretty shady that Trump is trying to swoop in and save his buddy Netanyahu like this . I mean, come on, 260,000 bucks worth of luxury goods? That's some serious graft right there . And now he's accusing the trial as a "politically motivated prosecution"? Give me a break . It's not about politics, it's about corruption and accountability.

And what really gets my goat is that Netanyahu's team is trying to spin this like he's still got the American president's back, despite Trump basically saying he'll do whatever it takes to get him out of trouble . I don’t think so, Netanyahu . You can't just waltz in here and expect everyone to cover for you when you're accused of serious wrongdoing.

It's like the old saying goes, "you can't buy your way out of this" . Netanyahu needs to face the music and deal with these corruption charges head-on . And Trump? He should probably stick to tweeting about how great he is instead of trying to influence the justice system .