Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally requested a pardon from the country’s president on Sunday, seeking an end to his protracted corruption trial which he claims has deeply fractured the nation. The move was immediately condemned by opponents as an attempt to place him above the law.
In a statement, the prime minister’s office confirmed the submission of the pardon request to the legal department of the President’s Office, which itself characterized the appeal as an “extraordinary request” with “significant implications.” Netanyahu, who has consistently clashed with the legal establishment, argued that halting the trial would foster national unity during a period of significant regional upheaval.
Netanyahu holds the distinction of being the only sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to stand trial, facing charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes across three separate cases. The allegations center on accusations that he traded favors with wealthy associates. He has not been convicted and maintains his innocence, repeatedly labeling the case a politically motivated "witch hunt" orchestrated by the media, police, and judiciary.
The plea for clemency follows weeks after former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu and sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog denouncing the prosecution as "political, unjustified." Herzog, a former political rival of Netanyahu, now faces a weighty decision. The request was met with instant public criticism, including a small protest outside the president's residence featuring a pile of bananas and a sign equating a pardon with a "banana republic."
In a videotaped address, Netanyahu contended that the ongoing trial is socially divisive and that the requirement to appear in court three times weekly impedes his ability to govern effectively. “The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within, stirs up this division, and deepens rifts,” he stated. “I am sure... that an immediate conclusion of the trial would greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs.”
The trial has seen numerous delays over the past year, largely due to security crises following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. The formal pardon request comprises two documents—one from his lawyer and one from Netanyahu himself—which will now be reviewed by the Justice Ministry before advancing to the president’s legal adviser.
However, legal experts assert that the request is highly unusual and cannot legally halt the trial. Emi Palmor, a former director-general of the Justice Ministry, stated, “It’s impossible... You cannot claim that you’re innocent while the trial is going on and come to the president and ask him to intervene.” The Israel Democracy Institute echoed this, noting that pre-conviction pardons are "extremely rare" and "threaten the rule of law."
The move has also highlighted Netanyahu’s shifting stance on accountability. In 2008, he demanded then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resign over a corruption scandal, arguing a leader “up to his neck” in investigations lacked a public mandate. Olmert ultimately resigned and later served a prison sentence. In contrast, Netanyahu has defied calls to step down, portraying himself as the victim of a "deep state" conspiracy.
This narrative was central to his government’s controversial 2022 plan to overhaul the judiciary, which sparked massive nationwide protests. Critics argued the reforms were a conflict of interest designed to undermine the court trying him and that the internal divisions may have emboldened Israel's enemies.
The pardon request ignited swift backlash from opposition leaders and watchdog groups. Opposition leader Yair Lapid declared that a pardon is inconceivable without “an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life.” Despite the criticism, some citizens voiced support, with one Jerusalem resident calling the request "totally the right thing" to unify the country.
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Source: AP
