US denies Trump’s request for Netanyahu to receive pardon linked to broader diplomatic initiative

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

US President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, October 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)
US President Donald Trump talks with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset, October 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Pool)

US President Donald Trump’s letter to President Isaac Herzog requesting a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not part of a broader initiative tied to the Gaza ceasefire or the Abraham Accords, a US official tells The Times of Israel.

Confirming reporting by the Axios news site, the US official dismisses speculation that Trump is pushing to have Netanyahu pardoned in exchange for the Israeli premier making concessions regarding the Palestinians in order to sustain the ceasefire or expand the Abraham Accords.

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