Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman of Likud on Thursday called on US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing them of blocking discussion of a pardon and, she said, preventing Baharav-Miara’s dismissal. Silman also criticized Amit for striking down laws passed by the elected legislature.
Opposition lawmaker Hili Tropper of Blue and White condemned the appeal, saying it was unacceptable for an Israeli minister to ask a foreign leader to sanction Israelis and symbols of government, calling it divisive and irresponsible, particularly during wartime.
Silman’s call, posted on X, came hours after Trump publicly urged President Isaac Herzog to advance a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and criticized Herzog over the issue.
Herzog’s office said he is not currently dealing with a pardon for Netanyahu and reiterated that Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law. It said Netanyahu’s request is being handled according to procedure through the Justice Ministry for an opinion and that Herzog will review it afterward under the law and in what he views as the national interest, free of outside pressure. Herzog’s associates also denied that he made any promise to Trump regarding a pardon.