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President Trump is pressing Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so he can focus on the war against Iran.
“Every day I talk to Bibi about the war. I want him to focus on the war and not on the f***ing court case. I want the only pressure on Bibi to be the fighting against Iran,” Trump said in a phone interview, according to Axios.
President Trump is urging Israeli President Herzog to pardon Netanyahu so that the Prime Minister can focus on bombing Iran.
“Every day I talk to Bibi about the war. I want him to focus on the war and not on the f*cking court case. I want the only pressure on Bibi to be the… pic.twitter.com/2HgQdffLkQ
— AF Post (@AFpost) March 5, 2026
Axios shared further:
Trump has been pushing for a Netanyahu pardon since last June, arguing that his trial on corruption charges — ongoing since 2020 — is a “witch hunt” akin to the U.S. president’s own legal troubles.
But Thursday’s comments — which Trump raised himself, unprompted — marked a dramatic escalation and direct intervention in Israel’s legal system at a moment of active war.
“The president … should give Bibi the pardon today. I don’t want anything on Bibi’s mind other than fighting against Iran,” Trump told Axios.
Trump claimed Herzog promised him five times over the past year that he would grant the pardon and never followed through. “He told me he would give it to him. But he has held it over Bibi’s head for a year.”
“Tell him I am exposing him. That president better d*** well give him the pardon right now — and stop using it as leverage for his own political career,” he said.
A senior Israeli official pushed back on Trump’s account, saying Herzog never promised a pardon.
Trump previously said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself.”
Footage below:
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🇺🇸🇮🇱Trump says the Israeli Preaident should be ashamed of himself for not giving Netanyahu a pardon pic.twitter.com/nHNApksg3L
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) February 12, 2026
More from The Times of Israel:
Trump also asked Herzog to pardon Netanyahu when addressing the Knesset in October. There, the US president said, in reference to the gifts Netanyahu allegedly illicitly received, “Who cares about cigars and champagne?”
In response to Trump’s comments on Thursday, the President’s Residence issued a statement praising the US president, but stressing Herzog’s prerogative to decide for himself on whether to grant Netanyahu a pardon.
“President Herzog greatly respects and appreciates the tremendous contribution of Donald Trump to Israel’s security. He views him as the leader of the free world, a central ally of Israel, and particularly values his firm stance against Iran,” the statement said.
Herzog’s office noted that Israel “is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” and as such, the pardon request is currently being dealt with by the Justice Ministry, which will offer its legal opinion, as per the law.
“After the process is completed, the president will examine the request according to the law, the good of the country, and according to his conscience, without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind,” his office added.