Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally requested a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, arguing that it was in the “public interest”.
In a letter addressed to President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu wrote that his trial had become “the focal point of fierce controversy” for which he “with an understanding of the overall impact of these events, the broader public bears greater responsibility.”
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 authority to issue pardons. His office confirmed that it had received the request, and that Herzog would “consider it with great care and responsibility.”
In the one-page letter, Netanyahu did not include an admission of guilt or make any commitments about his political future. He has repeatedly declared his innocence on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
The formal request for pardon is a reversal for the longtime Israeli leader, who has said the indictments would be dropped and he would prove his innocence in court.
“Faced with the security challenges and diplomatic opportunities currently facing the State of Israel, I am committed to doing everything in my power to heal the rifts, achieve national unity, and restore public confidence in the state’s institutions,” Netanyahu wrote, “and I expect all branches of government to do the same.”
The opposition immediately criticized the request from Netanyahu, who has faced accusations within Israeli society of xenophobia – against the Arab population and leftists in particular – as well as of prolonging the war in Gaza for his own political gain.
Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, urged Herzog to reject the pardon request, at least in its current form. “You cannot grant Netanyahu amnesty without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate withdrawal from political life,” Lapid said in a video statement.
“Only a guilty person apologizes. After eight years of trial, when the cases against him have not ended, Netanyahu is now apologizing,” Yair Golan, head of the leftist Democrat Party, said on Twitter.
But Netanyahu’s political allies came out in favor of amnesty. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir supported the request, saying in a statement that it was “vital for the security of the state.”
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump once again escalated the matter with his letter to Israel’s president, in which he asked for amnesty for his most vocal international cheerleader.
“I call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive wartime prime minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace,” Trump wrote in a letter distributed by an Israeli presidential spokesman.
A Channel 12 poll in mid-November, following Trump’s letter to Herzog, showed that 48% of the Israeli public opposed unconditional pardon, while 44% supported it. The remaining 8% said they did not know.
According to the Israel Democracy Institute, presidential pardon authority in Israel is subject to his wide discretion. But, in general, pardons are issued only when a person has already been convicted.
“The possibility that the president could pardon someone before or during a trial risks turning the president into an authority figure who bypasses law-enforcement and the judicial system,” wrote institute researcher Dana Blunder. “The rule is that the President acts as ‘compassionate authority’ only after all other officials have spoken.”
Netanyahu is the first outgoing prime minister in Israel’s history to face a criminal trial while in office. His trial in three separate cases began in May 2020.
In the most serious case he has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust for allegedly passing on regulatory benefits worth more than $250 million to his friend Shaul Elovich, the controlling shareholder of telecommunications company Bezeq. The prosecution claims that in return, Elovich ensured positive coverage of the Prime Minister in an online news site he owned called Walla! news. Elovich has denied the allegations.
Netanyahu’s own testimony began in December 2024, but has been the subject of repeated delays and cancellations, most of which were at his request. Given the remaining phases of the trial, including testimony, judgment, and possible appeals, the proceedings are expected to continue for several more years.
There is no deadline for Herzog to make a decision regarding clemency.
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