NEWS HEADLINES: President Trump Brings The House Down When He Asks For Pardon For Netanyahu * 100PercentFedUp.com * by Noah

President Trump is in Israel today celebrating the Gaza Peace Deal, and as part of that trip he visited the Israeli Knesset, their version of our Congress.

Watch as he received a thunderous standing ovation when welcomed to the podium:

President Trump receives a standing ovation in the Israeli Knesset. pic.twitter.com/p2oqFVB1wE

— 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 ♛ ︎ (@NiohBerg) October 13, 2025

But it’s this next moment I really wanted you to see…

As he so often likes to do, President Trump went off script and suddenly asked the Israeli President to give Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon.

The entire crowd erupted!

Watch here:

Backup here if needed:

BREAKING: President Trump asks the President of Israel ON THE SPOT to give Benjamin Netanyahu “a PARDON.”

The Knesset erupts into a standing ovation

“That was NOT in the speech! But I happen to like him, and it just seems to make so much sense. One of the greatest war time… pic.twitter.com/EgdBx2RtEj

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 13, 2025

Now if you’re a little confused, allow me to fill in the gaps here.

First question: Pardon for what?

Well, Benjamin Netanyahu has long been under prosecution for allegedly taking bribes.

That’s what President Trump was referencing when he said “cigars and champagne, who cares?”  Those were the alleged bribes he allegedly took at one point.

President Trump seems to be suggesting they are so inconsequential as to not matter.  And if you ask me, I think President Trump probably views all of this through the lens of his own Witch Hunt he just lived through.

Critics of Netanyahu have even gone so far as to suggest he issued a stand down order on October 7th two years ago to allow the Hamas invasion of Israel to derail that corruption trial and cement his power as a “Wartime Prime Minister”.

I’m not taking a side in that, I’m just giving you both sides.

Ok, now about the President….

If you are confused about why they have a Prime Minister AND a President and are curious about which is more powerful, I’ve got you covered:

In Israel, the President and the Prime Minister serve very different roles — one largely ceremonial, the other politically powerful.

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The President (Head of State)

• Role: The President of Israel is the symbolic head of state, similar to a monarch in a parliamentary system like the UK.
• Duties:
  • Formally appoints the Prime Minister (usually the leader most likely to form a majority coalition).
  • Signs laws passed by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament).
  • Has the power to pardon prisoners or commute sentences.
  • Represents the State of Israel at official events at home and abroad.
• Powers: Almost entirely ceremonial. The President doesn’t make policy or lead the government.
• Example: Isaac Herzog (as of 2025) is the current President. His influence is moral and symbolic rather than political.

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The Prime Minister (Head of Government)

• Role: The Prime Minister is the executive leader and wields the real political power.
• Duties:
  • Leads the Cabinet (government ministers).
  • Sets national policy, directs the military, and oversees government ministries.
  • Represents Israel in international negotiations and diplomacy.
  • Must maintain the confidence of the Knesset (120-seat parliament).
• Powers: Substantial — similar to the British Prime Minister or German Chancellor.
• Example: Benjamin Netanyahu (as of 2025) holds this position and exercises day-to-day control over government policy.

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Relationship Between Them

• The President formally appoints the Prime Minister after elections based on who can likely form a governing coalition.
• After that, the President has little involvement in government operations.
• The two may meet regularly for consultations or state events, but the Prime Minister leads the government, not the President.

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Summary: Who’s More Powerful?

Position	Function	Real Power Level
President	Symbolic, ceremonial	Low
Prime Minister	Executive, policymaker	Very High

In short:
The President unites the nation, while the Prime Minister runs it.

It reminds me of King Charles vs. the actual head of state in England.

Now the final question, can the Israeli President actually pardon the Prime Minister as President Trump asks?

ANSWER: Yes, under certain conditions:

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The President’s Power of Pardon

Under Basic Law: The President of the State, the Israeli President has the constitutional authority to:

“Pardon offenders and lighten penalties by the reduction or commutation of sentences.”

This applies to any Israeli citizen, including elected officials — even a sitting or former Prime Minister, Minister, or Member of Knesset.

So in theory, yes, the President could pardon the Prime Minister.

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Key Limitations

1. Only after conviction:
   A pardon generally applies after a conviction in court, not to cancel an ongoing trial.

   • The President cannot intervene in active legal proceedings.

   • Once a Prime Minister is convicted (and possibly sentenced), then the President could issue a pardon or commute the sentence.

2. No power to stop investigations or indictments:
   The President cannot block police investigations or prevent the Attorney General from filing charges. The justice system operates independently.

3. Political backlash and checks:
   While legal, pardoning a Prime Minister—especially one convicted of corruption or abuse of power—would trigger massive political and public controversy, and could be seen as undermining the rule of law.

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Real-World Context

This issue came up with Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced ongoing corruption charges. Some of his allies floated the idea of a future presidential pardon if convicted.

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Summary

Question	Answer
Can the Israeli President pardon the Prime Minister?	Yes, constitutionally allowed.
Can the President stop an investigation or trial?	No, that’s outside their power.
When can a pardon happen?	Only after conviction and sentencing.
Would it be controversial?	Extremely — it would likely provoke public outrage and legal challenges.

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In short:

The President of Israel can pardon anyone, including the Prime Minister — but only after conviction, and doing so would likely cause a political firestorm.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

View the original article here.