Trump seeks pardon for Bibi

Despite United States President Donald Trump’s disappointment with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamine Netanyahu’s lack of support during his 2020 presidential election results, “Bibi” (Trump’s nickname for Netanyahu) has managed to reestablish a special and close relationship with the most powerful president in the world.

This new chapter has been revealed when Israel lured Washington into its brief 2-weeks war against Iran, during which the US military severely bombed Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Another aspect, which recently gained headlines, is Trump’s backing for Netanyahu concerning the latter’s judicial cases that have bitterly divided the country.

Trump’s pardon letter for Netanyahu

On November 12, 2025, President Trump sent an unprecedented letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging him to pardon PM Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial.

The US president boasted Netanyahu’s role and efforts during the recent Gaza War, claiming that he “has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace.” He added that the PM “has stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries and long odds, and his attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted.”

Afterwards, Trump directly and explicitly tackled the corruption cases filed against Netanyahu. While the president claimed that he respected “the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements,” he nevertheless accused the cases as “a political, unjustified prosecution.”

Trump ended his letter by urging President Herzog to “let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.” He even resorted to the successes he managed to achieve regarding ending the Gaza War, bringing the hostages back and “keeping Hamas in check” as leverage to pressure Herzog into agreeing with his appeal. However, the latter’s office claimed that the president could not initiate a pardon based on the American leader’s request alone. Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 14 claimed that “Herzog seems determined to do everything in his power to make the pardon a reality, even if he has to take steps that require political and popular courage,” adding that “the pardon decision will not be affected by any political pressure from any party.” While reports emerged that the president would condition Netanyahu’s pardon on admitting guilt or pledging not to run in the next elections, Channel 14 cited informed sources saying that these claims are “baseless claims intended to mislead public opinion.”

Moreover, in a Knesset session, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid (chairman of the centrist Yesh Atid party) criticized Trump’s letter, claiming that “we must also tell the US President: we are a sovereign state, and there are limits to interference. It is unreasonable for the Prime Minister to turn to you every time seeking help.”

President Trump had previously initiated a similar appeal when he visited and addressed the Israeli Knesset on October 13, 2025. He said that “Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon? Give him a pardon. Come on.” He added that “it just seems to make so much sense. You know, whether we like it or not, this has been one of the greatest wartime presidents… one of the greatest wartime presidents. And cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?”

What are the cases that Netanyahu has been accused of?

In 2019, PM Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted on various charges, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust; all of which the PM denies.

As the trial began in 2020, which was swept off the agenda due to the 2023 October 7 attacks and the Gaza War, 3 criminal cases have faced “Bibi”:

- Case 4000: Prosecutors accused Netanyahu of granting regulatory favors worth around 1.8 billion shekels (about $500 million) to Bezeq Telecom Israel (BEZQ.TA). In return, the PM sought positive coverage of himself and his wife Sara on a news website controlled by the company’s former chairman, Shaul Elovitch.

In this case, Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

- Case 2000: Prosecutors accused Netanyahu of negotiating a deal with Arnon Mozes, owner of Israel’s infamous Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, for better coverage in return for legislation to slow the growth of a rival newspaper.

In this case, Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust.

- Case 1000: Prosecutors accused Netanyahu of wrongfully receiving, along with his wife Sara, almost 700,000 shekels (about $210,000) in gifts from Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood producer and an Israeli citizen, as well as from James Packer, Australian billionaire businessman. Champagne and cigars are among the gifts that the PM accepted, while Netanyahu allegedly helped Milchan with his business interests.

In this case, Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust.

To evade accountability, the PM and his far-right governing coalition launched a judicial campaign to curb the Supreme Court’s powers and authority. Under the guise of restoring the “checks and balances” between the executive, legislative and judicial branches, the campaign includes “reforms” that would entail weakening the power of the Supreme Court to review or throw out laws (enabling a simple majority of one in the Knesset to overrule such decisions), allowing the government to have a decisive say over who becomes a judge, including in the Supreme Court, as well as scrap the requirement for ministers to obey the advice of their legal advisers (guided by the attorney general).

However, massive protests, probably the biggest in Israeli history, have swept the streets prior to the 2023 conflict, with some claiming that a potential civil war could be a likely scenario; highlighting the severity and magnitude of the situation. Critics believe that these alleged “reforms” would shield Netanyahu from accountability as well as undermine Israel’s democracy and rule of law.