Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025.
Ohad Zweigenberg/AP
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Ohad Zweigenberg/AP
TEL AVIV (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Israel’s president to pardon him during a long-running corruption trial that has deeply divided the country.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Sunday that Netanyahu had submitted a request for clemency to the legal department of the presidential office. The President’s office called it an “extraordinary request” that had “significant implications”.
Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to be prosecuted, accused of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three separate cases in which he is accused of exchanging them with wealthy political supporters. He has not been convicted in any case yet.
The request comes weeks after US President Donald Trump urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu.
In a videotaped statement, Netanyahu said the trial had divided the country and that an amnesty would help restore national unity. He also said that requiring him to appear in court three times a week is a distraction that makes it difficult for him to lead the country.
Netanyahu’s request included two documents – a detailed letter signed by his lawyer and a letter signed by Netanyahu himself. They will be sent to the Ministry of Justice for opinion and then transferred to the Legal Adviser in the Office of the President, who will prepare additional opinions for the President.
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