Trump renews Netanyahu pardon call, saying only Iran should be troubling him

JERUSALEM, March 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday called again on Israel’s president to grant Prime Minister Benjamin ​Netanyahu a pardon for corruption charges, saying the premier should ‌have nothing on his mind but the war with Iran.

• Trump, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname, said in an interview with Israel’s N12 television news: “President Herzog must ​give Bibi a pardon today. I don’t want there to ​be anything troubling Bibi other than the war with Iran … ⁠Herzog is a disgrace … he promised me five times to give ​Bibi a pardon.”

• President Isaac Herzog’s office said in response that while Israel ​is at war, he is not dealing with the matter of Netanyahu’s pardon request.

• Herzog added that he deeply respects Trump’s contribution to Israel’s security and his position on ​Iran but that Israel is a sovereign state that abides by ​the rule of law.

• “The president will examine the request according to the law, the ‌good ⁠of the state, his conscience and free of any internal or external pressure,” the statement from Herzog’s office said.

KEY CONTEXT

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• Netanyahu is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime and denies bribery, fraud ​and breach of ​trust charges dating ⁠back to his 2019 indictment.

• Trump has called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon several times ​before.

• Netanyahu submitted his pardon request in November.

• Herzog has in the ​past ⁠disputed Trump’s claim that he had promised to grant Netanyahu a pardon.

• The United States and Israel on Saturday launched a joint bombing campaign against Iran.

WHAT’S NEXT

• Under ⁠Israeli ​law, the president has the authority to pardon ​convicts. But there is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial. The legal process of ​a pardon can be slow.

Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Aidan Lewis

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• Middle East

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