In his address to the Israeli parliament on Monday, President Donald Trump called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pardon his charges of fraud and bribery.
Trump, who spoke for more than an hour, joked with Netanyahu, saying he was not the “easiest” man to work with. He suggested he could be “a little nicer” now that the war is over, before turning to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to make his suggestion.
“Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President. Why don’t you pardon him?’ Trump said, prompting a standing ovation from many in the Knesset.
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Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges including bribery, fraud and breach of trust, although he has denied the allegations.
Trump appeared to wade into Israel’s tumultuous political arena on Monday when he said he would “always” support Jerusalem unless “someone really stupid comes into power and wants to do really bad things.”
“We don’t think this will happen,” Trump added before throwing his support behind Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who is a key figure in the prime minister’s teetering coalition.
Netanyahu praised Trump in his Knesset speech as Israel’s “greatest friend.” (Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters)
“There’s only one Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is able to stand up. And he’s not easy – I want to tell you – he’s not the easiest guy to get along with, but that’s what makes him great,” Trump said.
But moments earlier, Trump seemed to suggest that he also got along well with one of Netanyahu’s main rivals, opposition leader Yair Lapid, when he laughed by saying: “He’s a very nice opposition leader.”
“He’s a nice man, Bibi,” Trump said. “Now you can be a little nicer, because you’re not at war anymore, Bibi.”
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. (Evelyn Hockstein – Pool/Getty Images)
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Netanyahu’s political future remains unclear after he saw a significant decline in public support for his military strategy in the Gaza Strip and the more than two years it took to retrieve the hostages, some of whom remain in Gaza as the bodies of many of the deceased have yet to be returned.
The prime minister’s coalition also lost its majority in parliament earlier this year, raising questions about whether early elections could be called.
Whether the return of the 20 surviving hostages on Monday will be enough to regain public support or prompt Netanyahu’s political rivals to agree to drop the 2019 charges remains unclear.
There appears to be at least some lingering frustration with Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza, as two left-wing MPs, Aymen Odeh and Ofer Cassif – both part of the Israeli opposition bloc – were expelled from the chamber for causing an apparent disturbance at the start of Trump’s speech.
The officials held signs that read “Genocide” and “Recognize Palestine.”
A Knesset member is removed from the chamber after holding up a sign in protest during a speech by President Donald Trump in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Oct. 13, 2025, in Jerusalem. (Photo by Kenny Holston – Pool/Getty Images)
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But it is unclear how widely this is felt among the left in Israel, as Lapid, leader of the opposition, had contradicted these claims during his remarks ahead of Trump’s speech when he said: “The truth is that there was no genocide, no deliberate famine.”
The Knesset speaker had warned that swift action would be taken if anyone disrupted the session.
Trump joked about the speed with which the members were removed, saying, “That was very efficient.”
