Trump: Herzog is ‘weak and pathetic’ for not granting Netanyahu a pardon

In latest attack on Israeli president, Trump accuses him of being ‘full of crap’ for insisting on receiving a recommendation from the Justice Ministry before ruling on PM’s request

In his latest broadside against Israel’s president, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Isaac Herzog “weak and pathetic” in his handling of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request.

In a phone conversation with Channel 12’s Barak Ravid, Trump brought up the pardon request of his own accord, and said Herzog is “full of crap” for insisting that he cannot come to a decision before receiving a recommendation from the Justice Ministry.

“He doesn’t need any legal opinions,” Trump said. “He is full of crap. He is a weak and pathetic guy. I want Bibi [Netanyahu] to be focused on the war — not on bullshit.”

Trump has repeatedly blasted Herzog over his failure so far to issue a pardon to Netanyahu in his ongoing criminal corruption trial. Just last week, Trump called Herzog a “disgrace” for not pardoning the prime minister.

Last month, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not granting a pardon to Netanyahu, and when he addressed the Knesset in October, the US president also pressed Herzog publicly on the issue.

The US president has repeatedly claimed that Herzog previously promised him that he would grant Netanyahu a pardon, something the Israeli president’s office has denied. In response to Trump’s comments last week, Herzog’s office said he “greatly respects and appreciates” Trump, but that the decision would be made “without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind.”

Herzog has yet to make any decision on the pardon request that was submitted to his office by Netanyahu’s lawyers in November.

Hebrew media outlets reported Wednesday that the pardons department of the Justice Ministry has determined that the request for a pardon does not meet the relevant conditions and requirements. Herzog is seen as highly unlikely to grant a pardon in such circumstances.

The Justice Ministry announced earlier Wednesday that the pardons department has completed its legal position paper on Netanyahu’s request and passed it to Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, after Justice Minister Yariv Levin recused himself due to a potential conflict of interest.

According to a report by the Ynet news site, the pardons department determined that it was difficult to grant Netanyahu a pardon since his trial is ongoing and he has not yet been convicted, and he did not admit guilt or express remorse for his actions in his pardon request.

The High Court of Justice has previously ruled that pardons can, in theory, be issued before a conviction, but only when the person making the request has admitted to the crimes for which they have asked to be pardoned. Such an admission can be seen as a kind of de facto conviction, allowing the president to issue a pardon.

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