On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces allegations of fraud, breach of trust and bribery on charges brought in 2020. Analysts say that, unlike in the past five years since the trial began, Netanyahu, who denies all wrongdoing and has called the proceedings a "witch hunt," is now interested in seeking a presidential pardon to cut short the legal process.

In an undated letter to Herzog made public Wednesday, Trump wrote that he respected Israel's independent judicial system, but he argued that the case against Netanyahu was a "political, unjustified prosecution." Netanyahu, he wrote, was a "formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace" after "terribly difficult times of the last three years." "Now that we have achieved these unprecedented successes, and are keeping Hamas in check, it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all," he wrote.

Herzog’s office said in a statement that “anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with the established procedures.” 

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