1 December—Among the first phrases you learn in Hebrew school are “ani tzrich letzet”—“I’ve gotta go”—and “slach lee”—“pardon me.”

Three weeks ago, Donald Trump “called on”—i.e., ordered (because he is the bully Trump, after all)—Israel President Isaac Herzog to “fully pardon” Trump’s Israeli BFF longest-serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thus ending the “political, unjustified prosecution . . . lawfare once and for all” on obviously trumped-up corruption charges. Here’s the letter:

Certainly, in the great scheme of things, the corruption Netanyahu is charged with—and to which he has naturally pleaded not guilty—is bupkes, especially when compared to Trump’s well-documented and mind-boggling corruption for which he’ll never be punished.

Herzog (the son of a former Israeli president—an Irishman—and like Netanyahu an IDF veteran and largely educated in the U.S.) diplomatically pointed out that that “anyone seeking a presidential pardon must submit a formal request in accordance with established procedures,” including that the request be submitted by the accused or a close relative. Israel’s High Court of Justice (equivalent to the U.S. Supreme Court) had previously ruled that preemptive pardons—pre-conviction pardons, anyway—were permissible in the public interest and/or extreme personal circumstances.

So yesterday, to no one’s surprise, Netanyahu asked Herzog for the pardon, claiming that he expects the five-year-long legal proceedings to result in a complete acquittal (of course) and that the burdensome criminal proceedings have been hindering his ability to govern (of course).

“My lawyers sent a request for pardon to the president of the country today,” Netanyahu said in a video released by his party. “I expect that anyone who wishes for the good of the country support this step.” Of course.

It must be noted that Isaac Herzog does not belong to Netanyahu’s party. Nor does he belong to the opposing party whose leader countered that Netanyahu shouldn’t be pardoned without admitting guilt, expressing remorse, and—of course—immediately retiring from political life. Really?

There’s no question that Donald Trump had to be reelected in order to save his sorry ass. And there’s no question that Benjamin Netanyahu has to keep the Gaza war going for the same reason. Nor matter what he may say. It’s even been suggested—incredible as it may seem—that he had colluded with Hamas on the 7 October 2023 attack.

In all events, Herzog’s office has described Netanyahu’s pardon request as “extraordinary” with “significant [albeit unspecified] implications” and assured the world that the president “will responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after receiving relevant opinions. The relevant opinions are presumably those of Israel’s justice ministry and Herzog’s legal advisors.

Of course, it’s unthinkable that Donald Trump will be putting or has put any (more) pressure on Isaac Herzog to do the wrong thing . . .