Netanyahu files formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog

 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official request for a presidential pardon to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the President’s Residence confirmed.

The submission includes an extensive 111-page application prepared by Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Haddad, alongside a personal letter signed by the prime minister. Herzog’s office has made the full text of the request public.

According to the statement, Haddad delivered the documents to the Legal Department of the President’s Residence. The Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department is now set to review the application.

“The Pardons Department will gather the opinions of all the relevant authorities in the ministry,” Herzog’s office said, noting that these recommendations will then be forwarded to the president’s legal adviser for further evaluation.

Acknowledging the gravity of the development, Herzog’s office described the appeal as “an extraordinary request which carries significant implications.”

The statement added that, once all opinions are received, the president will “responsibly and sincerely consider the request.”

Under Israeli law, the president has the constitutional authority to issue pardons to those convicted in court, and in exceptional circumstances, even before legal proceedings conclude, if it is determined to be in the public interest.

The pardon request comes as Netanyahu continues to stand trial on corruption charges.

He faces one count of bribery and three counts each of fraud and breach of trust across three separate cases. The trial, which began in 2020, remains ongoing with no clear end in sight.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu publicly stated that he would not seek a pardon if doing so required him to admit guilt.

In a separate development, former US President Donald Trump has written to President Herzog urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon.