Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a presidential pardon in his years-long corruption trial, arguing that ongoing legal proceedings are hampering his ability to govern and that granting clemency would serve Israel’s national interest.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate but related cases dating back to 2019. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. In a letter to President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu’s lawyers emphasized that the legal proceedings have exacerbated societal divisions and placed an extraordinary burden on the prime minister while he tries to manage national affairs.
“My lawyers sent a request for pardon to the president of the country today. I expect that anyone who wishes for the good of the country [will] support this step,” Netanyahu said in a brief video statement released by his Likud party, without admitting guilt. He highlighted the demands of the trial, including testifying multiple times a week, which he described as an “impossible demand that is not made of any other citizen.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid strongly opposed the move, stating that Netanyahu should not be pardoned without admitting guilt, expressing remorse, and stepping away from political life. Traditionally, pardons in Israel have only been granted after convictions, but Netanyahu’s legal team argued that the president can intervene in extraordinary cases where public interest is at stake to foster national unity.
President Herzog’s office called the request “extraordinary” with “significant implications” and said it would be carefully considered after review by the pardons department of the Justice Ministry and recommendations from legal advisers.
Support for Netanyahu’s request has come from his coalition allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Conversely, figures such as Yair Golan, a former deputy chief of the military, have urged Herzog not to grant clemency, calling for Netanyahu’s resignation.
Netanyahu has been a polarizing figure in Israeli politics since first being elected prime minister in 1996. He has returned to office multiple times and currently leads the most right-wing coalition in Israel’s history, which faces uncertain prospects in the next election, scheduled for October 2026.
Throughout his tenure, Netanyahu has been known for emphasizing security and economic policy, but his career has been repeatedly overshadowed by corruption allegations. He was serving as prime minister during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and has since overseen military campaigns in Gaza and against Hezbollah and Iran, drawing both domestic support and widespread international criticism for the conflict’s humanitarian toll.
Netanyahu’s request for a pardon underscores the high stakes of the ongoing trial and reflects his strategy to maintain political authority amid legal and electoral uncertainty. The outcome of the president’s decision could have profound implications for Israel’s governance, the right-wing coalition, and the broader political landscape.
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