Jerusalem, March 13 Israel's 'dignity, independence, and sovereignty' are not for sale, President Isaac Herzog has said, responding to his US counterpart Donald Trump's repeated call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pardon in a corruption trial.
Trump has repeatedly launched verbal attacks against Herzog over his failure so far to issue a pardon to Netanyahu in his ongoing criminal corruption trial.
On Wednesday, Trump called Herzog “weak and pathetic” in his handling of the pardon request.
During a visit to the Beit Zarzir town on Thursday, Herzog dubbed Trump’s repeated remarks “a blatant attack on the symbols of governance and sovereignty of the State of Israel,” Times of Israel reported.
“I am not seeking my own honour, but the honour of the state,” Herzog said, adding, “Our dignity, independence, and sovereignty are not for sale to anyone.”
“I will, of course, address the request for a pardon when it arrives, in the most independent and free manner – without pressure and without noise from any direction – with a clear mind and clean hands,” the report quoted him as saying.
The Israeli president also indicated that Netanyahu should have pushed back against Trump.
“There is a difference between political and legal disagreements that have continued for decades on various issues – even with our allies – and a blatant attack on the symbols of governance and sovereignty of the State of Israel,” Herzog said, adding, “A statement must be made on this issue.”
Netanyahu, who was asked about Trump's remarks during a press conference on Thursday, said that the “US presidents are entitled to say what’s in their hearts," and condemned the trial as a political witch hunt.
Netanyahu said that Trump "thinks there is a political persecution" and "has the right to say what he wants."
"I am not responsible for what he says. Does he speak from the bottom of his heart - yes, he does", Netanyahu stressed, denying that he had reached out to the US President to intervene.
On Thursday, Netanyahu urged Herzog to grant him a pardon and end his corruption trial, calling the proceedings an "absurd circus" during his first press conference since the start of the war with Iran.
He said Herzog "simply needs to do the right thing" and bring the case to a close so he can focus fully on the war and regional diplomacy.
"He needs to give the State of Israel the time, and me the time, to do what is necessary – not only to defeat our enemies but also to create tremendous opportunities for peace, prosperity, and alliances in our region," Netanyahu said.
"Tremendous things lie ahead, and I am working on them right now. I would like to be completely unencumbered," he added.
The Israeli prime minister submitted the pardon request to Herzog at the end of November without admitting guilt or expressing remorse.
Herzog described the request then as "extraordinary" and said he would consider it "with responsibility and due seriousness".
The request was forwarded to the Justice Ministry's pardons department for review, as per standard procedure, before the president considers it.
On Wednesday, the department submitted its opinion opposing the request, local media reported.
Officials reportedly wrote that "given the nature of the allegations and Netanyahu's claim that the case is politically motivated, it would be inappropriate to decide on a pardon while he continues to assert complete innocence – unless at least one of the three conditions is met: an admission of guilt, an agreed resignation from the premiership, or a court verdict in the trial".
Herzog has long maintained a silence on the issue despite Trump's repeated statements against him.
In February, the US President said that Herzog "should be ashamed of himself" for not granting Netanyahu a pardon and claiming the Israeli President had promised to grant it "five separate times", something that the Israeli president has not yet confirmed.
Denouncing Herzog for not immediately granting the pardon, Trump on Wednesday said that “he doesn’t need any legal opinions”.
“He is full of crap. He is a weak and pathetic guy. I want Bibi [Netanyahu] to be focused on the war — not on bullshit”.