“Trump defends Israel’s wartime leader as hostile Arab regimes exploit Netanyahu’s trial to weaken Israel.”
US President Donald Trump publicly amplified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bid for a presidential pardon on Thursday, sharing Arutz Sheva–Israel National News’ report directly to his Truth Social platform. The gesture marks yet another forceful intervention by Trump in defense of Israel’s embattled leader—whom he has repeatedly described as the West’s frontline defender against Iran and terror-supporting Arab regimes.
Netanyahu’s formal request for a pardon was submitted Sunday to President Isaac Herzog through attorney Amit Hadad and passed to the President’s Legal Department for review. But Trump had already signaled his stance months earlier.
In mid-November, President Herzog received an official signed letter from Trump urging him to consider a pardon for Netanyahu. Trump emphasized that while Israel’s judicial independence must be respected, the case against Netanyahu reflects political motivation, not justice:
“This case against Bibi… is a political, unjustified prosecution. He fought beside me against Iran—Israel’s greatest enemy,” Trump wrote.
This was not Trump’s first public appeal. During his dramatic October address in the Knesset, he spoke directly to Herzog, urging him—before the full Israeli parliament—to pardon Netanyahu.
Throughout 2024, Trump repeatedly condemned the trial on Truth Social, describing the proceedings as a “political witch hunt”, echoing language he used against US prosecutors he believes are aligned with anti-Israel interests.
Trump’s consistent advocacy reflects the deep alignment between the two leaders in confronting Iran, countering Palestinian terror factions, and resisting diplomatic pressure from hostile Arab regimes. His intervention signals unmistakable support for Israel’s wartime leadership at a moment when internal legal battles threaten to distract from existential national priorities.
