US EditionMekelberg: Netanyahu's Pardon Request Threatens Judicial Independence & Israel as Liberal Democracy
Netanyahu seeks pardon amid a five-year corruption trial, sparking debate on political stability versus rule of law, with supporters and critics deeply divided.
- On Monday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu submitted a pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, urging national unity and echoing a letter from President Donald Trump last month.
- Netanyahu faces bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, and the trial has dragged on for years amid judicial reform debates and wartime pressures in Israel.
- Legal experts note pardons typically follow conviction, while Netanyahu denies charges, refuses remorse, and attends court up to three times per week, complicating governance.
- Herzog wrote on Monday he will weigh legal opinions and act in Israel's best interests, while commentators expect no immediate acceptance or rejection amid debates from supporters and opponents of Netanyahu.
- Observers speculate a pardon could be tied to concessions like early elections or shelving judicial reform amid Israel's security context post multi-front war, while analysts say Netanyahu gains politically regardless.
34 Articles
34 Articles
A pardon could be conditioned on his commitment to leave power and accept an official investigation into October 7th... ...
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for pardon by letter of attorney. Netanyahu was charged with bribery, fraud and infidelity in 2019. Among other things, he is said to have accepted luxury gifts worth 174,000 euros, including jewellery, cigars and champagne. Netanyahu recently stressed that his pardon would advance Israel's "necessary national reconciliation".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assures that the cessation of his corruption trial will help reduce internal tension and restore unity in a country...
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