In his address to the Israeli parliament on Monday, President Donald Trump called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be pardoned from his fraud and bribery charges.

Trump, who spoke for over an hour, joked with Netanyahu and said he wasn’t the “easiest” man to work with and suggested he could be “a little nicer” now that the war is over, before turning to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to issue his suggestion.

“Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President – why don’t you give him a pardon?” Trump said, prompting a standing ovation from many in the Knesset.

Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” in Knesset speech. (Evan Vucci/Pool via Reuters)

Netanyahu’s political future remains unclear after he saw a significant drop in public support over his military strategy in the Gaza Strip and the more than two years it took to recover 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 – drawing questions over whether an early election could be called.

Whether the return of the 20 living hostages on Monday will be enough to win back 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 over Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza as two left-wing members of parliament, Aymen Odeh and Ofer Cassif – both of whom are a part of Israel’s opposition bloc – were expelled from the chamber for causing an apparent disturbance at the beginning of Trump’s address.

The officials held signs that read “Genocide” and “Recognize Palestine.”

A member of the Knesset being removed from the chamber after holding up a sign in protest during an address by President Donald Trump in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem.  (Photo by Kenny Holston – Pool/Getty Images)

But it is unclear how widely this is felt among the left in Israel as Lapid, leader of the opposition, had countered these claims during his comments ahead of Trump’s address when he said, “The truth is, there was no genocide, no intentional starvation.”

The Knesset Speaker had warned that swift action would be taken if anyone disrupted the session. 

Trump joked at the speed of which the members were removed and said, “That was very efficient.”