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Akbar Novruz

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In his latest broadside against Israel’s president, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday called Isaac Herzog “weak and pathetic” in his handling of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request, AzerNEWS reports.

In a phone conversation with Channel 12’s Barak Ravid, Trump brought up the pardon request of his own accord, and said Herzog is “full of crap” for insisting that he cannot come to a decision before receiving a recommendation from the Justice Ministry.

“He doesn’t need any legal opinions,” Trump said. “He is full of crap. He is a weak and pathetic guy. I want Bibi [Netanyahu] to be focused on the war — not on bullshit.”

Trump has repeatedly blasted Herzog over his failure so far to issue a pardon to Netanyahu in his ongoing criminal corruption trial. Just last week, Trump called Herzog a “disgrace” for not pardoning the prime minister.

Last month, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed of himself” for not granting a pardon to Netanyahu, and when he addressed the Knesset in October, the US president also pressed Herzog publicly on the issue.

The US president has repeatedly claimed that Herzog previously promised him that he would grant Netanyahu a pardon, something the Israeli president’s office has denied. In response to Trump’s comments last week, Herzog’s office said he “greatly respects and appreciates” Trump, but that the decision would be made “without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind.”

Herzog has yet to make any decision on the pardon request that was submitted to his office by Netanyahu’s lawyers in November.