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There's no hiding the schism that now lies between Trump and Israel
In the Middle East, nothing is ever straightforward, and so it was. Benjamin Netanyahu had barely landed back in Tel Aviv when his friend in the White House was launching a stinging attack upon the man at the top of Israeli politics.
No, not Netanyahu, who Donald Trump continues to treat as a close friend. No, the target of Trump's ire was Israel's president, Isaac Herzog.
The American leader said that Herzog should be "ashamed of himself" for failing to pardon Netanyahu, who hasn't actually been convicted of anything. Netanyahu certainly has been accused of crimes by the courts in Israel, namely bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
The criminal action against him has been rolling on for nearly six years, interrupted constantly by delays and excuses. The Israeli prime minister has regularly failed to turn up for court, citing the argument that running his country takes up a lot of his time.
He always maintained that he wanted to prove his innocence in court, but then, at the end of last year, he formally requested a pardon for the charges. He said the case had become a distraction; his opponents insisted that "only the guilty ask for a pardon".
By this time, Trump had already laid the ground, making it clear that he thought a pardon was deserved. As a president who has issued pardons to the best part of 2,000 people, charged or convicted, over the past year, he might think it's a pretty straightforward job.
The Israeli president seems to disagree. Herzog issued a statement that made it clear that the legal process behind the decision was long and unwieldy, and that he couldn't just make up his mind for himself.
He also said he "deeply appreciates President Trump.
Amir Nisi
Creative and experienced content writer with 6+ years of experience lazy to create unique content strategy for News5 to turn website visitors into customers.
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