Donald Trump’s relentless push to shield his longtime ally Benjamin Netanyahu from legal consequences has finally hit a wall. Israeli president Isaac Herzog made it clear on April 26, 2026, that he won’t even consider Netanyahu’s pardon request until every possible plea deal has been exhausted. That’s a major blow to Trump’s pardon machine, which has spent years trying to bulldoze its way through legal norms to protect its friends.
Herzog’s statement was blunt. According to Reuters, he believes a negotiated agreement outside the courtroom is the best path forward in Netanyahu’s corruption trial, and he’s not budging until those efforts are fully explored. That means Netanyahu’s pardon request, submitted back in November, is effectively on ice for now.
