Although he was not convicted in the corruption trial, Benjamin Netanyahu requested a pardon. How the prime minister's lawyer reasons
Benjamin Netanyahu Photo: dts Nachrichtenagentur / imago stock&people / Profimedia
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a formal request for a pardon to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, saying that taking this decision would allow him to focus on state affairs, Reuters and the Times of Israel reported.
“The president's office is aware that this is an extraordinary request that has significant implications. After receiving all relevant opinions, the president will consider the request responsibly and honestly,” the Israeli president's office said.
The president's office published the request
The documents sent to the Israeli president also include a 111-page request from Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad, and a letter signed by the Israeli prime minister. Herzog's office released the full text of the request.
“Accepting this request will allow the prime minister to devote all his time, skills and energy to promoting Israel at these critical times,” Hadad wrote, “and to face the challenges and opportunities that lie before it. In addition, accepting the request will help repair rifts between different sectors of the public, open the door to reducing the intensity of tensions, all with the goal of strengthening the country's national resilience.”
According to Herzog's office, Hadad submitted the request to the Presidential Legal Department.
The Justice Ministry's Pardons Department “will gather the views of all relevant authorities in the ministry,” Herzog's office said, then forward its recommendations to the Israeli president's legal adviser.
“The president's office is aware that this is an extraordinary request that has significant implications,” Herzog's office said in a statement. “After receiving all relevant views, the president will consider the request responsibly and honestly.”
The president of the state has the right to grant pardons to those convicted in court and, in very rare cases, even before the end of the legal proceedings, if it is considered to be in the public interest.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu insisted he would not seek a pardon for his corruption trial if it meant admitting his guilt in the case.
Trump's intervention
Netanyahu is facing a long-running corruption trial. He denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty. His trial began in 2020 and is still far from over.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases, including allegations of receiving gifts worth nearly 700,000 shekels ($211,832) from businessmen.
Netanyahu has been accused of accepting gifts – including cigars and champagne – in exchange for promoting the personal interests of film producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer.
The Israeli prime minister has portrayed his legal process as a witch hunt designed to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader.
During his visit to Israel in October, US President Donald Trump had urged Herzog to pardon the prime minister in a speech to the Jerusalem parliament. Later this month, he formally asked his Israeli counterpart to make that decision.
