Israel urged to pardon Netanyahu

JERUSALEM - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a letter to Israel's president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial that has bitterly divided the country.

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It was the latest attempt by Trump to intervene in the case on behalf of Netanyahu, raising questions about undue American influence over internal Israeli affairs. Trump also called for a pardon for Netanyahu during a speech to Israel’s parliament last month, when he made a brief visit to promote his ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza.

In Wednesday’s letter to President Isaac Herzog, Trump called the corruption case “political, unjustified prosecution.”

“As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace,” Trump wrote.

Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, after being charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases accusing him of exchanging favors with wealthy political supporters.