Likud Cabinet and deputy ministers have signed a letter calling on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection to his ongoing criminal trial.
The letter, dated Oct. 19, was initiated by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, who posted it on X.
“Unfortunately, today it is already clear to everyone that as long as his trial is underway, which is like a bleeding wound in the body of Israeli society, there will be no unity in Israel,” the letter states.
The move comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s call during his Oct. 13 Knesset address for Herzog to pardon the Israeli premier.
The letter references comments by Trump in a Truth Social post in June, in which he wrote, “I was shocked to hear that the State of Israel, which has just had one of its Greatest Moments in History, and is strongly led by Bibi Netanyahu, is continuing its ridiculous Witch Hunt against their Great War Time Prime Minister!”
During his Knesset speech, Trump addressed Herzog, who was present, saying: “Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon?”
Referring to one of the cases against Netanyahu, Trump added: “Cigars and some champagne—who the hell cares.” The Israeli prime minister is accused of accepting gifts over the course of three years, mainly in the form of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cigars and champagne from two wealthy businessmen, Australian James Packer and Israeli Arnon Milchan.
In his June Truth Social post Trump said the “witch hunt” against Netanyahu was “unthinkable” and that the prime minister “deserves much better than this, and so does the State of Israel. Bibi Netanyahu’s trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY.”
“It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu. THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!” he concluded.
