By: Ariella Haviv

In a politically charged moment that has rippled across both Israeli and American political spheres, Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Thursday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and state prosecutors to pursue a plea deal to bring the premier’s years-long corruption trial to an end. The remarks followed an explosive call by President Donald Trump for the case to be “canceled immediately,” labeling the proceedings a “witch hunt” against a man he called a national hero.

According to a report that appeared on Friday at The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), Herzog’s office released a pointed statement in which the president underscored the urgency of resolving the case through “intensive dialogue” between Netanyahu and the prosecution. “It would be appropriate for Netanyahu’s trial to conclude at this time with an agreed-upon plea bargain,” the statement read. Herzog added that the judicial system itself had “recommended several times” that both sides pursue a negotiated resolution, particularly in light of the ongoing geopolitical tensions stemming from the war with Iran.

Trump’s intervention, which he posted Wednesday in a long message on his Truth Social platform, called attention to the fact that Netanyahu is scheduled to appear in Tel Aviv District Court for further cross-examination on Monday. Trump derided the charges — which include bribery, fraud, and breach of trust — as being built on flimsy allegations involving “cigars, a Bugs Bunny doll and numerous other unfair” items. According to JNS, Trump stated bluntly: “The United States of America saved Israel — and now it is going to save Bibi Netanyahu.”

The president’s comments appeared to embolden Netanyahu’s supporters and allies within the Israeli government, many of whom quickly renewed calls to end the legal saga that has hovered over the prime minister since his 2020 indictment. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told JNS that while prosecutors have been preoccupied with “preparing the prime minister’s cross-examination,” Netanyahu has been “orchestrating a historic military campaign” against Iran. Sa’ar framed the trial as a distraction from national priorities, echoing the belief that legal proceedings now constitute a strategic liability.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir went even further, describing the entire process as “an absurd trial fabricated by the Deep State in an attempt to carry out a coup against democracy.” Speaking on X, he applauded Trump’s intervention as “absolutely right,” calling for the trial to be scrapped altogether.

Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv raised eyebrows by proposing that Trump go so far as to impose personal sanctions on Israeli judicial figures. “I propose sanctions against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit,” Gotliv wrote, accusing them of paralyzing the Netanyahu government during a critical moment in national defense. The JNS report noted that such rhetoric, while unprecedented, has gained traction in segments of Israel’s right-wing coalition.

Simcha Rothman, chair of the powerful Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, maintained a more measured tone. While echoing the need to bring the trial to a close, Rothman urged President Herzog to resolve the matter through a pardon, but emphasized that the process should remain under Israeli sovereignty. “It is not the role of the U.S. president to intervene in judicial proceedings in the State of Israel,” Rothman wrote on X. “Israel’s sovereignty and the independence of its judiciary are values that matter to all of us, including Netanyahu.”

JNS also reported that Herzog acknowledged his constitutional authority to issue a pardon but clarified that the process must begin with a formal request from the individual in question. To date, no such request has been submitted by Netanyahu, who continues to deny all charges and insists he is the target of a politically motivated campaign to unseat him.

Opposition figures have predictably pushed back. Yair Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid Party, sharply rebuked Trump’s comments, warning against foreign meddling in Israel’s legal system. “With all due respect to Trump, he shouldn’t interfere in the judicial process of an independent country,” Lapid said in remarks carried by JNS. Gilad Kariv, of the left-wing Democrats Party, echoed the sentiment, asserting that “no person is above the law — not even a premier.”

Perhaps more surprisingly, former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak — long regarded as a judicial adversary of Netanyahu — also voiced support for ending the trial through an agreement. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a pardon or a plea deal—the main thing is that we reach an agreement,” Barak told Makor Rishon, as reported by JNS. “This could lead to calm.”

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, was formally indicted in January 2020, with proceedings commencing later that year. The case revolves around three central affairs — dubbed Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000 — and includes allegations that he accepted gifts from wealthy donors and offered regulatory favors in exchange for favorable media coverage. He has consistently rejected the charges as “fabricated” and politically motivated.

As tensions with Iran persist and Israel’s domestic political scene remains sharply polarized, Herzog’s proposal for a plea deal may serve as a compromise solution — one that defuses judicial pressures without igniting constitutional controversy over a presidential pardon. Meanwhile, Trump’s blunt entry into the debate has raised fresh questions about U.S.-Israel relations, particularly if his remarks are seen as an attempt to sway the outcome of an internal legal process.

What remains certain, as the JNS report emphasized, is that the Netanyahu trial is no longer a purely legal matter. It has become a high-stakes political drama with consequences reaching far beyond the courtroom — shaping debates over judicial reform, governance, and the very future of Israeli democracy.