Donald Trump has urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a long-running corruption trial.
“Hey, I have an idea, Mr President, Why don’t you give him a pardon?” Trump said in an unscripted moment of discomfort that was nevertheless met with applause.
Donald Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu over corruption allegations.Credit: Getty
“I happen to like this gentleman right over here, and it just seems to make so much sense, you know, whether we like it or not, [he] has been one of the greatest wartime presidents.”
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases.
Acknowledging the controversy surrounding his remarks, Trump quipped, “I don’t think it’s very controversial.”
President Donald Trump talks with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset.Credit: AP
“You are a very popular man,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “You know why? Because you know how to win.”
It is not the first time Trump has applied pressure on the Israeli judicial system over the allegations. In a more recent intervention, Trump in June lashed out at prosecutors over the corruption trial, saying Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to “stand for this”.