President Isaac Herzog said in an interview that any decision regarding a possible pardon for Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu must follow the legal process outlined under Israeli law.
Speaking to Fox News, Herzog emphasized that the issue is not currently under consideration while the country is engaged in war.
“Let’s put things on record and in perspective. First of all, during the war, there are no proceedings at all. So it’s off the charts and off the table. And the Prime Minister is solely focused on the war,” said Herzog.
He went on to explain the limits of his authority as Israel’s president and how the country’s system differs from governments where the head of state holds executive power.
“Number two, just to explain to your viewers, I’m the head of state. I don’t have executive powers. It’s similar to what you see in Europe and other countries. And I have the pardoning power. I’m, of course, obliged and sworn into Israeli law, just like you have American constitution for the President of the United States, we have the Israeli constitution for the President of Israel.”
Herzog added that any potential decision on a pardon would require input from the relevant legal authorities before he could act.
“I said that I will consider everything seriously, but I’m obliged under the process and under Israeli law to await opinions that must be given to me by the relevant authorities. And that is why, of course, everything is on the table, but it has to be done according to Israeli law,” Herzog stressed.
He also addressed recent calls from President Donald Trump urging him to pardon Netanyahu, responding with praise for Trump while maintaining that the matter remains an internal Israeli issue.
“I respect President Trump tremendously, honestly. And I take the brunt with a lot of affection and respect to him because he’s the leader of the free world who’s changing history. But on the merits of a case, which is an internal case in Israel, I am obliged, I’m sworn in, and I’m the President of the state of Israel.”
Herzog’s comments came several days after Trump sharply criticized him in an interview with Axios reporter Barak Ravid, accusing the Israeli president of delaying a pardon for Netanyahu.
“The president … should give Bibi the pardon today. I don’t want anything on Bibi’s mind other than fighting against Iran,” Trump said, claiming that Herzog had previously suggested he would grant the pardon but had not done so.
“He told me he would give it to him. But he has held it over Bibi’s head for a year,” Trump said. “Tell him I am exposing him. That president better …. give him the pardon right now – and stop using it as leverage for his own political career.”
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump’s administration has approved the rapid sale of more than 20,000 bombs to Israel valued at roughly $650 million by invoking emergency powers to bypass the usual congressional review process, according to a Reuters report citing two U.S. officials familiar with the transaction.
In a statement released late Friday, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that an emergency situation required immediate approval of the weapons transfer. Because of that determination, the administration waived the standard congressional review that typically accompanies arms sales of this scale.
According to Reuters, the weapons package includes 12,000 BLU-110A/B general-purpose bomb bodies weighing 1,000 pounds each, which Israel had previously requested.
The decision follows the launch of a joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign against Iran that began a week earlier.
“This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States,” the State Department said in its statement, noting that Repkon USA, a Texas-based company, will serve as the primary contractor.
A State Department official provided additional information on Saturday, explaining that the package also includes BLU-111 500-pound general-purpose bombs as part of an amendment to a previously approved sale.
The official also said Israel is expected to acquire an additional $298 million in essential munitions through direct commercial purchases.
The move drew criticism from some lawmakers. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks objected to the decision to bypass Congress, arguing that the emergency declaration suggested the administration had not adequately prepared for the conflict.
“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war. Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story. This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation,” Meeks said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
{Matzav.com}
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