Trump Says Israel’s President “Should Be Ashamed,” Calls It “Disgraceful” He Hasn’t Pardoned Netanyahu — Herzog Responds

A sharp public clash erupted Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump blasted Israeli President Isaac Herzog over his refusal, so far, to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a presidential pardon.

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Speaking from the Oval Office just one day after meeting with Netanyahu, Trump did not hold back.

“You have a president who refuses to give him a pardon. He should be ashamed of himself,” Trump said. “The president’s got the power to give pardons. He doesn’t want to do it, because I guess he loses his power. I think the people of Israel should really shame him. He is disgraceful for not giving it.”

Trump has previously urged clemency for Netanyahu, including in a letter sent in November 2025 encouraging Herzog to issue a pardon and prior to that in October, while speaking in the Knesset, Trump appealed directly to President Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon.

“Hey, I have an idea, why don’t you give Netanyahu a pardon?” he said at the time, “Who cares about cigars and champagne?” a reference the items Netanyahu was alleged to have been gifted and therefore received unlawfully.

Herzog’s office responded swiftly, pushing back against the criticism and stressing that Israel’s legal system operates independently.

“Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law,” the President’s Office said in a statement.

Officials clarified that Netanyahu’s pardon request is still under formal review at the Ministry of Justice for a legal opinion, and that no decision has yet been made.

“For the sake of clarity, as has been explained repeatedly, the Prime Minister’s request is, according to the procedures, under review at the Ministry of Justice for a legal opinion,” the statement read. “Only upon completion of that process will President Herzog consider the request in accordance with the law, the best interests of the State of Israel, guided by his conscience, and without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind.”

The statement also noted that Herzog “deeply appreciates President Trump for his significant contribution to the State of Israel and its security.”

Netanyahu formally submitted his pardon request on November 30 of last year, seeking relief from ongoing corruption charges without admitting wrongdoing or stepping down from public life. He has consistently denied all allegations.

Under Israeli law, however, a presidential pardon generally requires an admission of guilt, which is a key legal factor now at the center of an increasingly public and politically sensitive dispute.