Overview

• During his address to Israel’s parliament, President Trump directly asked President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dismissed the alleged gifts by saying, “Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about this?”
• Netanyahu remains on trial on three counts of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, including allegations he accepted over $200,000 in gifts and granted regulatory benefits in exchange for favorable coverage.
• The case has been ongoing for about four years, with reporting noting repeated defense delays and a former domestic security chief’s claim that Netanyahu tried to use executive powers to stall the proceedings.
• Axios described the entreaty from the Knesset podium as a striking intervention in Israel’s internal politics and said the speech suggested Trump could endorse Netanyahu in an expected election.
• Polling cited in recent coverage shows Netanyahu remains unpopular even after a boost linked to a Gaza deal and hostage releases, with majorities in several surveys calling for him to step down over security failures tied to Oct. 7.