The Knesset Building/Clema12, CC BY-SA 4.0
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon to President Isaac Herzog, a move unprecedented in modern Israeli politics and one that immediately triggered fierce national debate.
Herzog’s office confirmed receipt of the request Sunday, noting that “this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications.” The president said he will review expert opinions from the Justice Ministry before making a decision. The Pardons Department has already begun examining the file, a process legal analysts say could take months.
Netanyahu: Trial Is “Tearing Israel Apart”
In an attached letter, Netanyahu argued that halting the long-running corruption trial—Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000—would serve the national interest by freeing him to focus entirely on Israel’s worsening security environment.
“A pardon would enable the prime minister to devote all of his time, abilities and energies to advancing the State of Israel in these critical times,” he wrote. Ending court proceedings, he said, would “mend the rifts between different parts of the nation” and bolster “national resilience.”
In a two-and-a-half-minute video message released shortly after Herzog’s announcement, Netanyahu emphasized that he still seeks full acquittal. However, he said Israel’s “security and diplomatic reality” now requires unity: “The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within, fuels this division and deepens the rifts.”
He urged political leaders to support the request “for the good of the country.”
Charges and Legal Background
He has denied all charges for six years, characterizing the proceedings as a political vendetta.
Presidential pardons before conviction are exceptionally rare in Israel—granted only once in the 1980s in the Shin Bet “Line 300 Affair,” due to national-security concerns.
While some Israeli figures claim a pardon requires an admission of guilt, the Israel Democracy Institute recently clarified that no such requirement exists in law, though historically presidents have insisted on it in most cases.
Political Reactions
Defense Minister Israel Katz urged Herzog to approve the pardon: “Israel is facing a security reality more complex than ever… At this time, we need united leadership focused on the strategic threat before us.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded Herzog deny the request unless Netanyahu admits guilt, expresses remorse, and retires from politics—conditions Netanyahu has already refused.
In a November podcast interview, Netanyahu explicitly said he would not confess wrongdoing: “I certainly won’t do that. That’s not going to happen.”
Trump’s Intervention
Herzog also confirmed receiving a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month urging him to grant Netanyahu a full pardon.
Trump called the charges “a political, unjustified prosecution” and said it is “time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending lawfare once and for all.”
Herzog replied that any pardon must follow established Israeli procedures.
A New Phase in a Defining Legal Saga
The formal pardon request—an 111-page document submitted by attorney Amit Hadad—marks a significant turning point in a trial that has shaped Israel’s politics for nearly a decade.
Supporters say the trial paralyzes Israel’s leadership during a dangerous moment; opponents warn that granting a pardon would damage public trust and strike “a deadly blow to the rule of law.”
Herzog offered no timeline for his final decision.
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