President Donald Trump is once again stepping into the international arena, this time urging Israel’s leadership to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu so he can fully concentrate on the ongoing conflict with Iran rather than fighting a years-long courtroom battle.
According to reports, Trump made it clear that he wants Israel to resolve the situation immediately, arguing that Netanyahu’s attention should be on national security, not legal proceedings that have dragged on since 2020.
“Every day I talk to Bibi about the war,” Trump reportedly said. “I want him to focus on the war and not on the court case.”
Trump didn’t hold back when discussing Israeli President Isaac Herzog, criticizing him for failing to act on earlier calls for a pardon. The former president claimed Herzog had promised several times over the past year that he would issue one — yet nothing has happened.
Naturally, Herzog’s office pushed back. In a statement, officials said the matter is not currently being considered due to the ongoing war, adding that any potential pardon request would only be evaluated after legal processes are completed and in accordance with Israeli law.
In other words: “We’ll get to it later.” Because apparently wartime leadership still leaves room for years of courtroom drama.
Trump has been calling the case against Netanyahu a “witch hunt,” a phrase he has used many times before when describing politically motivated prosecutions. From his perspective, keeping Israel’s prime minister tied up in court while the country faces major security threats makes little sense.
Netanyahu’s trial centers on three separate corruption cases. Prosecutors claim he and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, received expensive gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for political favors. Another case alleges Netanyahu attempted to arrange favorable coverage with the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth by supporting legislation targeting a rival outlet.
A third case involves accusations that regulatory decisions were made to benefit telecommunications company Bezeq and its controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch, who also owned the news website Walla! News, in exchange for more positive media coverage.
Despite the accusations, Netanyahu has consistently denied wrongdoing and remains in office while the trial continues.
For Trump, the issue is simple: when a nation is facing serious geopolitical threats, its leader should be focused on defending the country — not spending time navigating a courtroom battle that critics say has become increasingly political.
Whether Israel ultimately grants a pardon remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: Trump believes Netanyahu belongs in the war room, not the witness stand — and he’s not exactly known for being subtle about it.
And if recent events are any indication, this story is far from over.
