US President Donald Trump launched sharp criticism against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, describing him as “disgraceful.” The reason for this attack is due to Herzog’s refusal to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a presidential pardon in light of his ongoing trial on corruption charges.
Trump’s comments came just one day after he met with Netanyahu at the White House, reflecting an apparent escalation of pressure Trump had put on Herzog for months. These pressures also included a speech Trump gave in the Israeli Knesset last year, in which he explicitly called for a pardon for Netanyahu.
Trump asserted that Netanyahu was “exceptional as a wartime prime minister,” considering that the refusal to pardon him was “shameful.” “You have a president who refuses to grant him a pardon,” he declared. “I think this man should be ashamed of himself,” and accused Herzog of withholding a pardon “for fear of losing power.”
Trump continued, saying: “I think the people of Israel should really be ashamed of him. It is disgraceful that he was not granted a pardon, and he should have offered it.”
