US EditionNetanyahu Requests Pardon from President Herzog in Ongoing Corruption Cases
Netanyahu seeks pardon before trial conclusion, citing national unity and governance challenges amid ongoing corruption charges and deep societal divisions, with 60% public support for his resignation.
- On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally appealed to President Isaac Herzog for a pardon while he remains on trial, and Herzog's office confirmed receipt, releasing the lawyers' letter publicly.
- Facing bribery and fraud charges, Netanyahu says the long-running corruption trial harms his ability to govern and divides the country; the filing follows U.S. President Donald Trump's pardon appeal earlier this month.
- The filing included two documents: an 111-page application by Amit Hadad, Netanyahu's lawyer, and a personal letter, delivered to the Legal Department of the President's Residence; under standard procedure, papers will go to the Justice Ministry Pardons Department, then to the President's legal adviser.
- Herzog's office described the appeal as an `Extraordinary request` and said it will consider all opinions, while Opposition leader Yair Lapid demanded an admission of guilt and resignation, opposed by coalition allies including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich who supported Netanyahu's pardon bid.
- Legally, pardons traditionally come after conviction, but the President of Israel may act pre-conviction in exceptional cases; Netanyahu says the ongoing trial’s length and national unity justify this now before the next election window.
527 Articles
527 Articles
Herzog Weighs Netanyahu Pardon Amid Fierce Backlash
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog in his ongoing corruption trial, marking a major reversal after years of insisting he would clear his name in court. In a letter made public Sunday, Netanyahu argued that the trial has become a source of national division and that “public interest” outweighs his personal desire to prove innocence. Herzog confirmed receipt of the request and said…
Netanyahu seeks pardon for corruption charges
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested a pardon from the country’s president over corruption charges. Netanyahu denied wrongdoing, but said the three cases, which have been ongoing for five years, interfere with his ability to govern. Critics said that any pardon would damage Israel’s democracy, which they argue is already under threat after government efforts to take further control of the judicial branch in 2023 that led to widesp…
Pardoning Netanyahu would further divide Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu’s bombshell request to Israeli President Isaac Herzog for a pardon took the form of a plea for national unity. The letter, submitted yesterday, asked Herzog to use his clemency powers “in the interest of the nation” so the premier can devote himself fully to governing. But the request reads less like contrition than a political manoeuvre. Netanyahu has not admitted guilt in the three corruption cases at the centre of his five-…
Monday morning news: December 1, 2025
The news of the day, including President Trump’s optimism about an end to the war in Ukraine, Benjamin Netanyahu formally requests a pardon to end his corruption trial, and growing concern over the legality of the U.S. military’s strikes on suspected gunboats
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