ALBAWABA - Donald Trump, the President of the United States, shocked Israel's political and judicial leaders when he asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court and is facing multiple corruption charges.
The request, which was made live in front of the Knesset on October 13, came right after Trump finished a speech that got a lot of applause. But what he called a moment of support for a "great wartime leader" quickly turned into one of the most controversial public actions in Israeli court cases in years.
A planned move that looks like it happened by accident
Hours later, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his request wasn't made up on the spot but was planned ahead of time after talking with Netanyahu.
Trump said, "I told him I wouldn't bring it up." "But it was the right time—sensitive, yes, but necessary."
This wasn't the first time Trump had supported Netanyahu in court. Months before, he had called the corruption charges "ridiculous" on X (formerly Twitter). At the same time, his friend Mike Huckabee, who was then the U.S. ambassador, went to Netanyahu's trial in Jerusalem. Many Israeli legal experts saw this as an open challenge to the independence of the courts.
Cheering and chaos in the Knesset
As Trump's voice echoed through the room, Likud lawmakers broke parliamentary rules by chanting "Bibi! Bibi!" Netanyahu stood next to Trump in silence, smiling widely and bowing his head in thanks.
Legal experts and people in the opposition, on the other hand, said that Trump's involvement gave Netanyahu's allies more power. They are now pushing a new bill that could limit the power of the courts and stop corruption trials for prime ministers during times of war or emergency.
Baruch Kra, a judicial analyst, called the event in Maariv "a tragicomic moment—a president who was uncomfortable, a prime minister who didn't care, and a parliament that cheered the end of judicial restraint."
Herzog in the Hot Seat
President Isaac Herzog is now under a lot of pressure. His earlier comments suggested that he felt "sympathy" for Netanyahu's long trial, but constitutional experts say that giving him a pardon before he is found guilty would go against the very heart of Israeli democracy.
Attorney Shashi Geis, who is an expert on white-collar crime, said, "No one is above the law, not even the prime minister." "A pardon before the trial would mean the end of the court's credibility."
Justice Minister Yariv Levin is said to be bringing back a Likud-backed bill that would let Israel's defense minister put off Netanyahu's hearings for "national security priorities."
