Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told conservative podcast host Erin Molan that he was not sure whether he would accept a pardon if President Isaac Herzog offered one.
"I'll think about it, but I’m very grateful to President Trump for being so forthright. He just cuts to the chase. This trial is absurd," Netanyahu told Molan on her podcast, the Erin Molan Show.
"I’ve spent three days a week running a war, and now seeking to expand peace, while also in court talking about why my son, Yair, received a Bugs Bunny doll when he was five. That’s a bribe? Or how I received some cigars from a friend? It’s ridiculous.
"The mainstream media have stopped covering it because it’s so embarrassing to the prosecution. President Trump called it a politicized and unjust witch hunt, which it is. It hurts both American and Israeli interests. My time should be spent on the things that will determine Israel’s future. I appreciate that President Trump spoke the truth. As for my answer, yes, I’ll think about it.
Netanyahu's interview with Molan comes after US President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Herzog in which he asked the president to pardon Netanyahu.
Trump calls Netanyahu trial 'unjust witch hunt'
Trump pushed for Herzog to "fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive wartime prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world-changing Abraham Accords."
In the interview with Molan, Netanyahu said that he believed that Trump was the best thing to happen to Israel "since maybe Cyrus."
Netanyahu also stated that he was not afraid of New York City Mayoral-elect Zohran Mamdani's threats to arrest him if he were to come to the city.
"I’m not afraid," he said, adding that he would want Mamdani to "get his act together" before he engaged in dialogue with the mayor-elect.
"It’s good to be a young leader, but it’s not good to be a young, uneducated leader. I think he should brush up on economics, anti-Semitism, and who the bad guys are. Then we might have a conversation."
The prime minister also discussed his hesitation toward Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Washington.
"The issue is not how he plays basketball, but what he does on the ground. Does Syria become a peaceful country? Does he weed out the jihadists in his military?" he said.
"We want a demilitarized zone in southwest Syria to protect our Druze brothers. The Syrian Druze were massacred, just like what happened in the October 7 massacre in Gaza. I’m focused on what’s actually being done."
He added that "you can’t build peace on falsehoods."
"The Palestinian leader, Abbas, pays terrorists to kill Jews. The more Jews they kill, the more they get paid. He names public squares after mass murderers. To embrace him as a prince of peace is the opposite of reality," he added.
"The force for peace is Israel, not the Palestinian Authority, which funds terrorism. And look at the demonstrations supporting Hamas—do they wave the American flag? No. They burn it. But when you see pro-Israel demonstrations, you see both the Israeli and American flags. That’s the difference. President Macron should be with those who support France."
When asked about Iran's water crisis, Netanyahu told Molan that Israel was "ready to do a lot" against the regime.
"The regime isn’t interested in the people. They put billions into terror—into Hezbollah, Hamas, Assad’s regime—but nothing into fixing the water crisis or improving the Iranian economy. The Iranian people deserve better. They are a great people with a rich history, and I’d love to see them take charge of their destiny."
He also said that the IDF's strikes in July "set them [Iran] back on both their nuclear and missile development.
"They’ll try to recover, but we’re following it closely, alongside our American friends."
Netanyahu told Molan that he planned to run for office again and believed it was in Israel's best interests to elect him.
"The people will decide, not the pundits or the press. I’ve been elected many times despite tremendous opposition. We’ve achieved a lot, including defeating Hamas, dismantling the Iranian Axis, and releasing hostages. If the people give me the mandate, I’ll continue. I believe we’re on the right path, and we’ll keep moving forward."
The prime minister also detailed his plan to prevent a disaster on the same scale as the October 7 massacre.
"Israel will retain control of Gaza’s security. We won’t relinquish our security to anyone else," he said.
"Hamas has been decimated, but we still have work to do. We’re committed to ensuring Gaza is demilitarized, as part of President Trump’s peace plan. Israel will maintain full security responsibility. We won’t farm it out."