Trump urges Israel to pardon Netanyahu, sparking concerns over US influence

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent a letter to Israel’s president asking him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial that has bitterly divided the country.

It was the latest attempt by Trump to intervene in the case on behalf of Netanyahu, raising questions about undue American influence over internal Israeli affairs. Trump also called for a pardon for Netanyahu during a speech to Israel’s parliament last month, when he made a brief visit to promote his ceasefire plan for the war in Gaza.

In Wednesday’s letter to President Isaac Herzog, Trump called the corruption case “political, unjustified prosecution.”...