Trump Stuns Knesset with Off-Script Plea: Urges Pardon for Netanyahu Over 'Cigars and Champagne' Charges

Jerusalem, October 13, 2025 – In a moment that rippled through the halls of Israel's parliament like a thunderclap, U.S. President Donald Trump veered sharply from his prepared remarks on Monday, calling on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant a full pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid his long-running corruption trial. The impromptu demand, delivered with Trump's signature bravado, drew a standing ovation from much of the Knesset chamber, where lawmakers erupted in cheers and chants of "Bibi! Bibi!" – a stark display of the deep alliance between the two leaders.

Speaking before a packed session of the Knesset to celebrate the successful first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza – which included the release of all 20 remaining living Israeli hostages held by Hamas – Trump turned his gaze to Herzog, seated prominently in the audience. "Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President," Trump said, his voice booming over the microphone. "Why don't you give him a pardon? Cigars and some champagne – who the hell cares?" The quip, referencing one of the most salacious elements of Netanyahu's indictment, elicited laughter and applause that drowned out murmurs of dissent from opposition benches.

Netanyahu, 75, has been entangled in three high-profile corruption cases since his 2019 indictment on charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust – allegations he vehemently denies. At the heart of Case 1000, as it's known, prosecutors accuse the prime minister and his wife, Sara, of accepting over $260,000 in illicit gifts from wealthy benefactors, including lavish shipments of high-end cigars, bottles of premium champagne, and even jewelry. Among the donors named in court testimony: Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer, who allegedly funneled the luxuries in exchange for political favors, such as visa assistance and regulatory leniency.

Trump's intervention marks an unprecedented escalation in his vocal support for Netanyahu, whom he hailed as "one of the greatest wartime leaders Israel has ever had." The U.S. president, fresh off a diplomatic triumph in brokering the hostage deal and a partial ceasefire that has paused two years of devastating conflict in Gaza, framed the pardon plea as a fitting reward for Netanyahu's stewardship. "This wasn't in the written speech, but I love this man," Trump added, drawing knowing nods from Netanyahu's coalition allies. The address, timed to coincide with Simchat Torah celebrations, also saw Trump prod Iran toward normalization with Israel and urge Palestinians to "turn forever from terror," painting a vision of a "historic dawn of a new Middle East."

The reaction in the Knesset was electric. Supporters of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party leaped to their feet, their ovation lasting nearly a minute as some pounded desks in approval. "It's a witch hunt, just like the one they tried on me," Trump had posted on Truth Social just months earlier, likening the Israeli proceedings to his own legal battles. Opposition figures, however, were less amused. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, later decried the moment as "a blatant interference in Israel's sovereignty," warning that it undermines the rule of law at a time when the nation grapples with postwar reckoning.

Herzog, whose presidential role is largely ceremonial but includes the power to issue pardons in "unusual circumstances," offered no immediate response from the podium. In a September interview, however, he acknowledged the trial's toll on Israeli society, hinting at openness to clemency: "It weighs heavily on us all." Legal experts note that any pardon would face fierce scrutiny, potentially igniting protests reminiscent of the 2023 mass demonstrations against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plans – unrest that only subsided with the outbreak of war in October 2023.Netanyahu, flanked by Herzog and Trump upon entering the chamber, showed little outward reaction to the plea, maintaining his trademark stoic demeanor. In a brief statement following the speech, he thanked Trump for his "unwavering friendship" and recommitted to the peace process, pledging: "I am committed to this peace." The prime minister's trial, already delayed multiple times on security grounds, has cast a shadow over his leadership, with polls showing a plurality of Israelis calling for his resignation over perceived failures in preventing the initial Hamas assault.

For Trump, the Knesset address caps a whirlwind Middle East tour that has burnished his image as a dealmaker extraordinaire. Yet critics at home and abroad question whether the Netanyahu endorsement crosses a line into meddling. "This isn't diplomacy; it's a buddy bailout," tweeted one Democratic lawmaker from Washington. As the echoes of applause fade, all eyes turn to Herzog: Will the cigars and champagne prove too trivial to ignore in the court of public – and presidential – opinion?

17GEN4.com