U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Monday to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, during an address to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.
During a more than one-hour speech, Trump said:
“Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don’t you give him a pardon? Cigars and some champagne — who the hell cares?” referring to the fraud, bribery and breach of trust charges, which Netanyahu denies. Show Full Article
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases, one of which includes receiving almost 700,000 shekels ($210,000) in gifts from businessmen, including champagne and cigars.
Israel’s President holds a largely ceremonial role but he does have authority to pardon convicted criminal if there are unusual circumstances pr