Trump seeks pardon from Netanyahu in fraud case after hostage release

In his speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday, President Donald Trump called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be pardoned for his fraud and corruption charges.

Trump, who spoke for more than an hour, joked with Netanyahu and said he was not the “easiest” man to work with and suggested he could be “a little nicer” now that the war is over, before turning to Israeli President Isaac Herzog with his suggestion.

“Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President – ​​why don’t you pardon him?” Trump said, drawing a standing ovation from many Knesset members.

Netanyahu hailed Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” in his Knesset speech. (Evan Vucci/Piscine via Reuters)

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Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on costs this included bribery, fraud and breach of trust, although he denied these accusations.

Trump appeared to enter Israel’s tumultuous political arena on Monday when he said he would “always” support Jerusalem unless “someone really stupid comes into power and wants to do really bad things.”

“We don’t think that’s going to happen,” Trump added before throwing his support behind Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who is a key figure in the prime minister’s fading coalition.

“There’s only one Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who can stand up. And he’s not easy – I want to tell you – he’s not the easiest guy to deal with, but that’s what makes him great,” Trump said.

But moments before, Trump seemed to suggest he also got along well with one of Netanyahu’s main rivals, opposition leader Yair Lapid, when he drew laughs by saying, “He’s a very good opposition leader.”

“He’s a nice man, Bibi,” Trump said. “Now you can be a little nicer because you’re not at war anymore, Bibi.”

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Evelyn Hockstein – Piscine/Getty Images)

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Netanyahu’s political future remains uncertain after seeing a significant decline in public support for his military strategy in the Gaza Strip and the more than two years it took to recover the hostages, some of whom remain in Gaza while the bodies of many of the deceased have yet to be returned.

The prime minister’s coalition also lost its majority in parliament earlier this year, raising questions about the possibility of calling early elections.

It remains to be seen whether the return of the 20 hostages alive on Monday will be enough to regain public support or prompt Netanyahu’s political rivals to agree to drop the 2019 charges.

There appears to be at least some lingering frustration over Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war as two left-wing lawmakers, Aymen Odeh and Ofer Cassif – both part of Israel’s opposition bloc – were kicked out of the chamber for apparently provoking unrest at the start of Trump’s speech.

Officials held signs reading “Genocide” and “Recognize Palestine.”

A Knesset member is kicked out of the chamber after holding up a sign in protest during a speech by President Donald Trump in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Photo by Kenny Holston – Piscine/Getty Images)

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But it is unclear to what extent this is felt among the left in Israel, since Lapid, the opposition leader, had refuted these claims in his comments before Trump’s speech when he said: “The truth is there was no genocide, no intentional starvation. »

The Knesset speaker warned that swift action would be taken if anyone disrupted the session.

Trump joked about how quickly the members were fired and said, “It was very effective.”