Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office denies a conversation with Donald Trump regarding a pardon request for PM Netanyahu on corruption charges.
JERUSALEM: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has denied former US President Donald Trump’s claim that they discussed a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump stated during a press conference that he had spoken with Herzog and was confident a pardon was forthcoming for Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges.
“There has not been a conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon request was submitted,” Herzog’s office clarified in a statement.
The office confirmed a representative for Trump had enquired weeks ago about a letter Trump sent regarding the pardon.
Herzog’s office explained that the representative was informed any decision would follow established legal procedures.
Netanyahu is accused of accepting over $260,000 in luxury gifts and seeking favourable media coverage in exchange for political favours.
He has labelled the ongoing trial, which began in 2019, a “political trial” and denies all wrongdoing.
Trump, standing with Netanyahu in Florida, called the Israeli leader a “wartime prime minister who is a hero” and questioned why he would not be pardoned.
A fourth corruption charge against Netanyahu was previously dismissed by the courts.
The Israeli prime minister is the first sitting premier in the country’s history to stand trial for corruption.
Trump has frequently accused his own opponents of weaponising the US justice system against him.
