Israeli PM Netanyahu requests pardon in ongoing corruption trial

By Tal Shalev, Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally requested a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, arguing it was in the “public interest.”

In a letter addressed to President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu wrote that his trial has become “a focal point of fierce controversy” for which he bears “broad public and more responsibility, with an understanding of the overall ramifications of these events.”

Netanyahu said it was in his “personal interest” to prove his innocence in the ongoing trial, but “the public interest dictates otherwise.” The letter was submitted on Thursday and publicized on Sunday.

As Israeli head of state, Herzog has the sole mandate to issue pardons. His office confirmed it received the request, and Herzog would “consider it with great care and responsibility.”

In the one-page letter, Netanyahu does not include an admission of guilt or make any commitments about his political future. He has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The formal request for a pardon is a reversal for the long-time Israeli leader, who has said the indictments would collapse and that he would prove his innocence in court.

“Faced with the security challenges and diplomatic opportunities currently before the State of Israel, I am committed to do everything in my power to heal the rifts, achieve national unity, and restore public trust in the state’s institutions,” Netanyahu wrote, “and I expect all branches of government to do the same.”

‘Only someone guilty asks for a pardon’

The opposition were quick to criticize the request from Netanyahu who has faced accusations of stoking rifts within Israeli society – against the Arab population and the left in particular – as well as prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political gain.

Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s opposition, urged Herzog to reject the pardon request, at least in its current form. “You cannot grant Netanyahu a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and an immediate withdrawal from political life,” Lapid said in a video statement.

Head of the left-wing Democrats party Yair Golan said on X, “Only someone guilty asks for a pardon. After eight years of trial, when the cases against him have not collapsed, Netanyahu is now asking for a pardon.”

But Netanyahu’s political allies came out in favor of the pardon. Far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir supported the request, saying in a statement it is “critical for the security for the security of the state.”

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump once again weighed in on the case with his own letter to Israel’s president, asking for a pardon for arguably his most vocal international cheerleader.

“I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace,” Trump wrote in a letter distributed by the Israeli president’s spokesperson.

A Channel 12 poll conducted in mid-November after Trump’s letter to Herzog suggested that 48% of the Israeli public oppose an unconditional pardon, while 44% support it. The remaining 8% said they did not know.

According to the Israel Democracy Institute, the president’s pardon authority in Israel is subject to his broad discretion. But, in general, pardons are only issued after an individual has already been convicted.

“The possibility that the President might pardon someone before or during trial risks turning the President into an authority that bypasses the law-enforcement and judicial system,” wrote Dana Blander, a research fellow at the institute. “The rule is that the President acts as a ‘compassionate authority’ only after all other authorities have spoken.”

Netanyahu is the first incumbent prime minister in the history of Israel to face criminal prosecution while in office. His trial began in May 2020 in three separate cases.

In the most serious case he is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly advancing regulatory benefits worth the equivalent of more than $250 million at the time to his friend Shaul Elovitch, who was the controlling shareholder for the telecommunications company Bezeq. In return, the prosecution claims, Elovitch ensured positive coverage of the prime minister in an online news site he owned called Walla! News. Elovitch has denied the charges.

Netanyahu’s own testimony started in December 2024 but has been subject to repeated delays and cancellations, the majority of them at his request. Given the remaining stages of the trial, which include testimony, judgment and potential appeals, the proceedings are expected to continue for several more years.

There is no deadline for Herzog to make a decision regarding a pardon.

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