Netanyahu Pursues Unprecedented Presidential Pardon as Corruption Trial Intensifies

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has aske for a presidential pardon in his long-running corruption trial.
He denies all charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
President Isaac Herzog called the request “extraordinary” and says he will review it through formal legal channels.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the country’s president on Sunday for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, arguing that criminal proceedings were hindering his ability to govern and a pardon would be good for Israel.

Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, denies the bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges.

His lawyers said in a letter to the president’s office that the prime minister still believes the legal proceedings would result in a complete acquittal.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a bold step by requesting a presidential pardon, a move he announced in a succinct video released by his party, Likud. In his message, Netanyahu expressed hope that those who prioritize the nation’s welfare would support this initiative.

Despite the ongoing trial, which has spanned five years, neither Netanyahu nor his legal team have acknowledged any wrongdoing. The prime minister has consistently maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.

Traditionally, pardons in Israel are only granted post-conviction and at the conclusion of legal processes. However, Netanyahu’s lawyers argue that the president has the authority to issue a pardon in situations where public interest is paramount, such as the current scenario, with the intention of mending societal rifts and bolstering national cohesion.

Netanyahu, the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, was indicted in 2019 in three separate but related cases.

They centred around accusations that he granted favours to prominent business figures and political supporters in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage.

As Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, his trial has sparked widespread protests across Israel. Citizens have taken to the streets, voicing their opposition to the prime minister in light of these serious allegations.

Protesters rallied outside Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s private residence, demonstrating against Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his corruption trial before a verdict was reached.

“What Netanyahu is asking is not for a pardon. He is asking that his trial will be completely cancelled without taking any responsibility, without paying the price for how he tore up this country and how he eventually brought to the massacre of 7th of October,” said prominent protest leader, Shikma Bressler.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu should not be pardoned without admitting guilt, expressing remorse, and immediately retiring from political life.

Pardons in Israel have typically been granted only after legal proceedings have concluded and the accused has been convicted. Netanyahu’s lawyers argued that the president can intervene when public interest is at stake, as in this case, with a view to healing divisions and strengthening national unity.

A person dressed as Donald Trump at a rally. He is wearing a sign reading 'Pardon the Boy' around his neck, while holding up a doll meant to represent Benjamin Netanyahu

Israelis have protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid his trial concerning bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges. Source: AAP / Mahmoud Illea

President Isaac Herzog’s office described the request as “extraordinary” with “significant implications”. The president “will responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after receiving relevant opinions, his office said.

US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog this month, urging him to consider granting the prime minister a pardon, saying the case against him was “a political, unjustified prosecution”.

Herzog’s office said the request would be forwarded to the pardons department in the justice ministry, as is standard practice, to collect opinions, which would be submitted to the president’s legal adviser, who will formulate a recommendation for the president.

Israel’s justice minister, Yariv Levin, is a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party and a close ally of the prime minister.

In the letter, Netanyahu’s lawyers argued that criminal proceedings against him had deepened societal divisions and that ending the trial was necessary for national reconciliation. They also wrote that increasingly frequent court hearings were burdensome while the prime minister was attempting to govern.

“I am required to testify three times a week … That is an impossible demand that is not made of any other citizen,” Netanyahu said in the video statement, emphasising that he had received the public’s trust by repeatedly winning elections.

Coalition allies issued statements supporting Netanyahu’s request for a pardon, including national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Opposition politician Yair Golan, a former deputy chief of the military, called on the prime minister to resign, urging the president not to grant a pardon.

The next Israeli election is due by October 2026, and many polls indicate that Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, would struggle to win enough seats to form a government.