U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday surprised lawmakers in Israel’s parliament by calling for a presidential pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently facing three separate corruption trials.
Speaking before the Knesset in Jerusalem, Trump praised Netanyahu as “one of Israel’s greatest wartime leaders” and joked about the charges against him, which include allegations of accepting luxury gifts such as cigars, champagne, and jewelry worth more than $260,000 from wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favors.
“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump quipped, before turning to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and suggesting, “Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President — why don’t you give him a pardon?”
Trump added, “By the way, that was not in the speech, as you probably know. But I happen to like this gentleman right over here,” pointing toward Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister has denied any wrongdoing, insisting the allegations are politically motivated. His supporters have also described the long-running trials as an attempt to weaken his leadership. In addition to the gifts case, Netanyahu faces accusations of trying to secure favorable media coverage from two Israeli news outlets.
Since returning to office in late 2022, Netanyahu has introduced judicial reforms that critics argue were designed to limit the independence of the courts, sparking months of mass protests that only subsided after the Gaza war began.
The Israeli leader is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on allegations of war crimes during Israel’s assault on Hamas in Gaza — a case the U.S. government has publicly opposed, with Washington imposing sanctions on some ICC staff members.
Trump did not address the ICC warrant during his speech but has previously come to Netanyahu’s defense, calling his legal troubles a “political witch hunt.” On his Truth Social platform in June, Trump compared Netanyahu’s trials to his own legal challenges, saying both men were victims of politically driven prosecutions.
