Israel's President Isaac Herzog has received a letter from US President Donald Trump formally urging him to fully pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has been standing trial for the past five years on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in connection with three separate cases. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In the letter, Trump writes that he absolutely respects the independence of Israel's justice system, but that he believes Netanyahu is facing a political, unjustified prosecution.
Herzog's office said he held Trump in the highest regard, but that anyone seeking a pardon had to submit a formal request.
Netanyahu later thanked Trump for the incredible support.
As usual, you get right to the point and call it like it is, he wrote on X. I look forward to continuing our partnership to bolster security and expand peace.
In 2020, Netanyahu became the first serving Israeli prime minister to stand trial.
In the first case, prosecutors have alleged that he received gifts - mainly cigars and bottles of champagne - from powerful businessmen in exchange for favours.
He is accused in the second case of offering to help improve the circulation of an Israeli newspaper in exchange for positive coverage.
And in the third, prosecutors have alleged that he promoted regulatory decisions favourable to the controlling shareholder of an Israeli telecoms company in exchange for positive coverage by a news website.
Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and branded the trial as a witch-hunt by political opponents.
Last month, after helping to broker the ceasefire in Israel's two-year war with Hamas in Gaza, Trump mentioned during a speech to the Israeli parliament that Herzog should pardon his close ally, and he questioned the gravity of the charges against Netanyahu.
In his letter to the president, Trump stated, As the Great State of Israel and the amazing Jewish People move past the terribly difficult times of the last three years, I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace.
However, reactions to Trump's request have been mixed in Israel, with some politicians urging Herzog to heed Trump's call and others stressing the need for Israel's sovereignty and legal integrity.
Netanyahu's supporters have long sought a pardon as the trial continues to unfold amidst ongoing political and social debates within Israel.
