Israeli President Herzog Stands by Legal Review Process After Trump’s Pardon Condemnation

President Isaac Herzog of Israel has stood by his commitment to a thorough legal review process for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request, issuing a statement Thursday that directly addressed Donald Trump’s condemnation of his approach as disgraceful.
Herzog’s office provided a detailed explanation of the review timeline, noting that the Ministry of Justice is currently conducting its legal analysis in accordance with standard governmental procedures. The presidential statement emphasized that Herzog would make his determination only after receiving a complete legal opinion and would base his decision exclusively on Israeli law, without yielding to external or internal political pressures.
Trump’s sharp criticism came during a press conference at the White House, where he was asked about Netanyahu’s visit to Washington for diplomatic meetings. The former U.S. president suggested that Herzog deserved to be ashamed and that Israeli citizens should publicly condemn their president’s handling of the pardon request. The remarks represented a significant escalation in what has become an international political controversy involving close allies.
The criminal cases against Netanyahu encompass a range of serious corruption allegations. Prosecutors claim that in two instances, Netanyahu arranged deals with Israeli media organizations, leveraging governmental authority to secure favorable news coverage in exchange for regulatory benefits. The third case involves more direct allegations of bribery, with authorities asserting that Netanyahu accepted luxury gifts valued at more than $260,000 from wealthy supporters who received political benefits in return.
Netanyahu’s trials have created an unprecedented situation in Israeli political history, as he is the first sitting prime minister to face criminal prosecution. Since the proceedings commenced in 2019, Netanyahu has vigorously defended himself, describing the cases as a “political trial” designed to remove him from office. Although one of four original charges was dismissed, three substantial cases remain active in the courts. The pardon controversy began when Trump addressed Israel’s parliament in October and publicly called for Herzog to grant clemency, leading to the formal submission of a pardon petition by Netanyahu’s legal team.