Trump formally asks Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu after Gaza truce

US president calls corruption charges against Israeli PM ‘unjustified’, describing Netanyahu arsenic ‘formidable’ leader.

United States President Donald Trump has sent a missive to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, slamming the corruption charges against the Israeli premier curate arsenic “political” and “unjustified”.

Trump’s missive connected Wednesday comes a period aft the US-brokered ceasefire came into effect successful Gaza, ushering successful a fragile truce amid daily Israeli attacks and assistance restrictions.

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In his letter, the US president cited Netanyahu’s enactment successful the war, an battle that killed much than 69,000 Palestinians, including astatine slightest 20,000 children, and which United Nations investigators person described arsenic a genocide.

“I hereby telephone connected you to afloat pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is present starring Israel into a clip of peace, which includes my continued enactment with cardinal Middle East leaders to adhd galore further countries to the satellite changing Abraham Accords,” Trump wrote.

Several Israeli media outlets posted a transcript of the missive connected Wednesday.

With the letter, Trump inserts himself further into home Israeli politics, appearing to propulsion to reward the Israeli premier curate for agreeing to the ceasefire.

The telephone besides highlights Trump’s increasing enactment for chap right-wing leaders internationally. Earlier this year, the US bailed out the Argentinian system nether President Javier Milei with $40bn.

In Wednesday’s letter, Trump reiterated the mendacious conception that helium secured bid successful the portion for “at slightest 3,000 years”. Israel was established successful 1948, and the Zionist question to colonise Palestine was founded successful the precocious 1800s.

The US president made a akin telephone for ending the corruption lawsuit against Netanyahu erstwhile helium spoke to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, past month.

But helium was much nonstop successful addressing the Israeli president successful the letter.

“Isaac, we person established a large relationship, 1 that I americium precise thankful for and honoured by, and we agreed arsenic soon arsenic I was inaugurated successful January that the absorption had to beryllium centred connected yet bringing the hostages location and getting the bid statement done,” Trump wrote.

“Now that we person achieved these unprecedented successes, and are keeping Hamas successful check, it is clip to fto Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare erstwhile and for all.”

The Israeli presidency is mostly a ceremonial post, but the president retains the powerfulness to assistance pardons.

However, with Netanyahu’s proceedings ongoing, Herzog cannot contented a pardon until a verdict is reached.

Herzog responded to Trump’s missive connected Wednesday, saying that a pardon indispensable beryllium requested done a designated process.

“The president holds large respect for President Trump and repeatedly expresses his appreciation for Trump’s unwavering enactment of Israel and his tremendous publication to the instrumentality of the hostages, the reshaping of the Middle East and Gaza, and the safeguarding of Israel’s security,” the Israeli president’s bureau said, according to the Times of Israel.

“Without detracting from the above, arsenic the president has made wide connected aggregate occasions, anyone seeking a pardon indispensable taxable a ceremonial petition successful accordance with the established procedures.”

Trump himself faces transgression charges, including implicit election interference, aft his archetypal presidency, which helium described arsenic a “witch hunt”.