Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally submitted a request for a pardon to President Isaac Herzog, seeking clemency in his long-running corruption cases. The extraordinary petition comes as the premier continues to face charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust dating back to 2019.
The President’s office confirmed the receipt of the request on Sunday, acknowledging its significance. “The Office of the President is aware that this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications,” a statement read. It added that Herzog would responsibly and sincerely consider the plea after gathering all relevant legal opinions.
Netanyahu, the first sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, has consistently denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. The cases involve accusations of exchanging political favors with wealthy supporters and receiving nearly 700,000 shekels (approximately $211,832) worth of gifts from businessmen.
The premier’s bid for a pardon follows public pressure from United States President Donald Trump, who had earlier urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during an address to the Israeli parliament in October and through a subsequent letter.
In a videotaped statement, Netanyahu framed his request as a step toward national reconciliation and unity. He argued that the ongoing trial, which began in 2020, has profoundly divided the country and deepened internal rifts.
Furthermore, he claimed that the requirement to appear in court three times a week serves as a crippling distraction, making it exceedingly difficult for him to focus on leading the nation. “The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within… I am sure, like many others in the nation, that an immediate conclusion of the trial would greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs,” Netanyahu asserted.
Netanyahu’s request, composed of a detailed letter from his lawyer and a signed letter from the Prime Minister himself, has been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice. This is the first step in a process that will see legal opinions formulated before the matter reaches the President’s legal adviser for final input.
Despite the President’s largely ceremonial role, Herzog does hold the constitutional authority to pardon convicted criminals under exceptional circumstances. However, Netanyahu’s trial is far from concluded, a fact that complicates the situation.
Legal experts immediately weighed in, suggesting the pardon request is unlikely to halt the proceedings. Emi Palmor, the former director general of the justice ministry, called the timing “impossible.” She explained that a defendant cannot claim innocence while a trial is underway and simultaneously ask the President to intervene. The only clear way to stop a trial, she noted, is by obtaining a request from the attorney general to withhold the proceedings.
The political opposition wasted no time in condemning the move. Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged President Herzog to reject the request outright. “You cannot grant him a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life,” Lapid stated.
The pardon request adds another layer of legal complexity for the Prime Minister, who is also currently the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued in November 2024 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the situation in Gaza.
