The political drama swirling around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has spilled over into the international arena, with a surprising intervention from U.S. Senator John Fetterman and a new wave of intrigue involving Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The story, which has captivated both Israeli and American observers, now involves secret letters, public appeals, and even alleged threats of blackmail—all centered on the question of whether Netanyahu should receive a presidential pardon.
On December 2, 2025, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania penned a letter to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, urging him to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu. According to Talking Points Memo (TPM), which obtained a copy of the letter, Fetterman wrote, “In a world this dangerous, I question whether any democracy can afford to have its head of government spending valuable hours, day after day, in a courtroom rather than the situation room.” Netanyahu, who faces ongoing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, had formally requested a pardon from Herzog in late November, arguing that a drawn-out trial was not in the public interest.
Fetterman’s letter, written on official Senate letterhead and signed personally, was more than just a gesture of support for Israel—it was a direct appeal for Netanyahu’s political survival. The senator, who has been outspoken in his support for Israel throughout the war in Gaza and beyond, asserted that the legal proceedings were draining the nation’s focus and spirit. “It seems that the legal proceedings against the Prime Minister, dragging on year after year, have become a drain on the nation’s spirit and its focus,” Fetterman wrote. “I believe there is a strong case to be made for a pardon—not to erase the past, but to secure the future.”
When TPM reached out to Fetterman about the letter, he expressed surprise that it had leaked, but did not back away from his position. "I support it and it’s a pointless distraction," he said, referring to the charges against Netanyahu. “I fully support it and I stand on the letter.” Fetterman declined to clarify whether he had received a response from Herzog or discuss the specifics of any ongoing communications, instead reiterating his surprise at the leak.
Fetterman’s advocacy for Israel and Netanyahu has often put him at odds with his own political base. Over the past two years, he has carved out a reputation as one of the most ardent pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party, sometimes to the frustration of progressives. He’s publicly defended Israel’s actions during the Gaza conflict, which erupted after the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. The war has since devastated Gaza, with the Ministry of Health in Gaza reporting more than 70,000 deaths. International organizations declared a famine at the height of an Israeli blockade, and the humanitarian toll has sparked heated debate both in Israel and abroad.
Despite mounting criticism of Israel from within the Democratic Party—recent polls show nearly 70 percent of Democrats now hold negative views of the country—Fetterman has doubled down. In March 2025, he even called for the U.S. to partner with Israel on bombing Iran, a stance that drew sharp rebuke from many in his party. His refusal to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza, and his blunt remarks to progressive Jewish group J Street—where he reportedly said, “let’s get back to killing”—have further alienated some of his supporters. Still, Fetterman has remained steadfast, describing the fallout as the price of “real leadership.”
“I did it because I knew it was the right thing to do, regardless of the fallout,” Fetterman wrote in his letter to Herzog. “Real leadership often means making the choice that feels impossible because it is the only way to ensure the nation’s survival.” He argued that pardoning Netanyahu would allow the prime minister to focus fully on Israel’s security challenges, writing, “Clearing the deck so that your government can focus entirely on the safety of its citizens is a decision that I believe history would view with great understanding.”
Fetterman’s comments have not gone unnoticed in Israel, where the debate over a possible pardon for Netanyahu has reached fever pitch. On December 11, 2025, Israeli media reported that Moti Snider, a businessman and former close associate of President Herzog, had threatened to leak embarrassing information about Herzog’s relationship with Netanyahu if the president approved a lenient pardon. According to Haaretz, Snider claimed to have details of a “prior understanding” between Herzog and Netanyahu regarding the pardon, though the President’s Office firmly denied any such arrangement.
Snider’s involvement in the saga is notable. He previously played a key role in mediation efforts to form a unity government between Herzog and Netanyahu and had long advocated for a pardon—on the condition that Netanyahu withdraw from political life. Haaretz reported that Herzog had privately discussed the concept with former president Reuven Rivlin, and that one of Herzog’s associates had sought a legal opinion from senior lawyer Eyal Rozovsky about the possibility of granting a pardon before a conviction. Channel 12 later identified Snider as the individual who requested the legal opinion, though Herzog has “strenuously denied” any involvement.
The relationship between Herzog and Snider has soured over the past two years, particularly after Snider shifted his political allegiance toward Netanyahu and opposed Herzog’s controversial “judicial overhaul.” When confronted with the allegations, the President’s Office issued a terse statement: “Given the sensitive personal situation of the individual concerned, the president will not comment on these allegations.” Snider himself said only, “I will comment at the appropriate time and place.”
The controversy comes at a time when public debate in Israel over a political settlement—including a possible presidential pardon for Netanyahu—is at its most intense. Netanyahu’s trial, which began in 2020, continues to loom over Israeli politics. In his own letter to Herzog, Netanyahu did not admit guilt but argued that “the public interest” required an end to the proceedings. Fetterman echoed this view in a December 3 appearance on right-wing Newsmax, telling host Greta van Susteren that “that’s the wrong thing at this time, to have Israel focusing on those kinds of things.”
President Trump has also weighed in, expressing support for pardoning Netanyahu. Most Democrats, however, have avoided the topic, wary of wading into the complex and politically charged debate over Israeli justice and leadership.
Herzog and Fetterman met in New York City in early December at a Hanukkah dinner and award ceremony, underscoring the personal connections at play. Yet, as the debate rages on, the fate of Netanyahu—and the integrity of Israeli democracy—hangs in the balance. The maneuvering behind closed doors, the threat of damaging leaks, and the involvement of foreign politicians all add layers of complexity to a saga that is as much about political survival as it is about justice and accountability.
With no clear resolution in sight, Israelis and observers abroad are left to wonder: will the prime minister receive a pardon, or will the legal process run its course? For now, the only certainty is that the debate over Netanyahu’s future has become a focal point for broader questions about leadership, loyalty, and the rule of law in Israel’s embattled democracy.
