Jerusalem, 13 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — President Isaac Herzog said Friday that Israel’s “dignity, independence and sovereignty” are not for sale, after criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump and a dispute with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over remarks about a possible pardon in the prime minister’s corruption trial.
Herzog spoke during a visit to the northern village of Zarzir, where an Iranian missile struck overnight. Standing near the impact site, the President addressed comments made by Netanyahu during a press conference the previous evening, as well as recent attacks from Trump over Herzog’s handling of the pardon issue.
“I am not seeking my own honor, but the honor of the state,” Herzog said. “Our dignity, our independence and our sovereignty are not for sale to anyone.”
Herzog suggested that Netanyahu should have publicly defended the presidency against Trump’s remarks. Speaking in Zarzir, he said there is a distinction between legitimate disagreements with allies and what he described as an attack on Israeli state institutions.
“There is a difference between political and legal disagreements that have continued for decades on various issues, including with our allies, and a blatant attack on the symbols of governance and sovereignty of the State of Israel,” Herzog said. “It was expected that a statement would be made on this issue.”
In a phone interview earlier this week, Trump said Herzog “doesn’t need any legal opinions,” adding: “He is full of crap. He is a weak and pathetic guy. I want Bibi to be focused on the war — not on nonsense.”
Trump had previously called Herzog a “disgrace” for failing to pardon Netanyahu. The Israeli President rejected the criticism but stressed his respect for the American leader.
“I respect President Trump very much because he is the leader of the free world who is changing history,” Herzog said earlier. “However, this is an internal matter of Israel and I will act in accordance with Israeli law, to which I swore an oath.”
At his press conference Thursday night — the first he has held since the start of the war with Iran — Netanyahu was asked about Trump’s criticism of Herzog. The prime minister declined to condemn the remarks.
“Presidents of the United States are entitled to say what is on their minds,” Netanyahu said. “I am not responsible for what he says.”
Netanyahu also denied asking Trump to intervene in the matter, insisting the U.S. President was speaking independently.
The Prime Minister again denounced the criminal proceedings against him, describing them as politically motivated.
“This is a trial that should never have happened,” Netanyahu said. “There is no bribery here at all.”
During the same press conference, Netanyahu also urged Herzog to act on the matter. “Herzog needs to do the right thing and not give in to pressure from home or abroad,” he said. “He must end this absurd circus.”
Herzog, however, insisted that any decision on a pardon would be made independently and without outside pressure.
“I will of course address the request for clemency when it arrives, in the most independent and free way — without pressure and without noise from any direction, with a clear mind and clean hands,” he said.
Netanyahu made an uprecedented request for a pardon in a letter to Herzog in November. The prime minister, who is facing charges including fraud, breach of trust, and bribery, argued that despite his personal desire to continue the trial and prove his innocence, the public interest necessitates a different course. “Closing down the trial will lower the flames of political disagreement,” Netanyahu’s letter said.
The charges stem from three separate police investigations.
In the case known as the “Bezeq Affair,” Netanyahu, while serving as communications minister, is accused of granting regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecom giant. In return, Bezeq’s majority shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, allegedly provided Netanyahu with favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which he owned.
In the second investigation, known as the “Yediot Affair,” Netanyahu allegedly helped Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes by advancing regulations on newspaper distribution to Mozes’s advantage. In exchange, Mozes is accused of offering Netanyahu favorable coverage.
In a separate investigation known as the “Gifts Affair,” Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting $200,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance with a U.S. visa and changes to tax provisions benefiting Milchan. This case is widely considered to be the most serious against Netanyahu.
Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing. Before applying for the pardon, he had previously insisted that the trial would not interfere with his public responsibilities.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Justice Ministry said earlier this week that its Pardons Department had completed its professional opinion regarding Netanyahu’s pardon request. The document was forwarded to National Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who is handling the issue after Justice Minister Yariv Levin recused himself because he is a witness in the trial.
The ministry declined to disclose the contents of the opinion but said it could be updated if prosecutors submit their position before the president makes a final decision.
No serving Israeli prime minister has ever been indicted on criminal charges. Ehud Olmert stepped down in 2008 ahead of his own indictment for corruption. Olmert was eventually convicted and served two-thirds of a 27-month prison sentence.
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