Donald Trump just called Israeli President ‘disgraceful’ for not letting his ‘warrior’ friend get away with massive crimes

President Trump publicly condemned Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, calling him “disgraceful” for failing to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing, long-running corruption trial, as reported by MS Now. The president insisted the people of Israel “should really shame him” for not letting Netanyahu off the hook. You’ve got to remember that Israel’s presidency, held by Herzog, is mostly ceremonial, which makes President Trump’s sharp demand for a pardon even more striking.

The argument isn’t even about the evidence, which is what makes this whole situation so wild. Netanyahu is facing serious charges, including fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes. But President Trump isn’t questioning the merits of those cases at all. Instead, he’s demanding a pardon purely because he likes Netanyahu and considers him “a WARRIOR” and an ally.

The trouble really began in June when the president took to his social media platform, demanding that the case against the Israeli prime minister “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero.” He added, “THIS TRAVESTY OF ‘JUSTICE’ CAN NOT BE ALLOWED!” This kind of public and private demand for a foreign leader’s pardon, without regard for diplomatic propriety or evidence, is an unprecedented intervention by a U.S. president in a democratic ally’s legal proceedings.

This latest public shaming is actually the peak of a lobbying campaign that started months ago

It seems like President Trump has developed a pattern of using his power to reward allies, regardless of their guilt. When he can’t issue the pardons himself, he just lashes out and demands that others abuse their pardon power to make him happy.

We’ve seen this play out globally. For example, when Marine Le Pen, a prominent far-right politician in France, was implicated in an embezzlement scheme involving E.U. funds, the president threw an online tantrum, condemning the case as a “witch hunt.” He even imposed harsh new trade tariffs on Brazil as a punishment for the country not allowing former President Jair Bolsonaro to escape his crimes and head to prison.

So, how did President Herzog react to being called “disgraceful”? Reports show the condemnation clearly stung him. Late last week, Herzog issued a statement clarifying that the matter is still under review by the Ministry of Justice. Herzog stated that only upon completion of the official review process will he “consider the request in accordance with the law, the best interests of the State of Israel, guided by his conscience, and without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind.”

Then, just to drive the point home, Herzog added a pointed reminder: “Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law.” That’s a powerful statement, and it’s precisely the opposite of the immediate, evidence-free pardon President Trump was demanding.