Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon on Sunday to President Isaac Herzog, a rare and extraordinary step that comes as Netanyahu continues to stand trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a long-running corruption case.
The 14-page clemency request — accompanied by annexes that include the indictment — was delivered to the president’s legal department by Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad.
The indictment at the center of Netanyahu’s trial alleges that the prime minister accepted lavish gifts from wealthy businessmen and sought to secure favorable media coverage in exchange for regulatory benefits. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated.
Herzog’s office said the request has been forwarded, per standard procedure, to the Pardons Department at the Justice Ministry, which will gather professional opinions from relevant ministry officials. Those assessments will then be transferred to the president’s legal adviser and her team, who will prepare an additional recommendation for the president.
The president’s office emphasized that the clemency petition is “exceptional” and carries “significant implications.” Once all opinions are compiled, Herzog will consider the request “responsibly and with great seriousness.”
The filing includes two documents: a detailed letter signed by attorney Hadad and a personal letter signed by Netanyahu himself.
“In recent years, tensions and disagreements among different segments of the public and between the various branches of government have intensified,” Prime Minister Netanyahu wrote to President Herzog. “I am aware that the legal proceedings in my case have become a focal point for fierce disputes. I bear broad public and moral responsibility, fully understanding the implications of all these events. For that reason, and despite my personal interest in conducting the trial and proving my innocence until full acquittal, I believe the public interest dictates otherwise.
“Out of public responsibility as prime minister to try to bring about reconciliation among the people, I have no doubt that ending the trial will help reduce the flames of the debate that has formed around it. Facing the security challenges and diplomatic opportunities now before the State of Israel, I am obligated to do everything in my power to mend the rifts, achieve unity among the people, and restore trust in state institutions — and I expect all heads of the state authorities to do the same.”
The prime minister further wrote: “It is clear that the prime minister must now devote all his strength, energy, time and judgment to leading the State of Israel in these historic days. Israel is facing rare opportunities that may fundamentally reshape the entire Middle East, alongside dangers, threats and challenges. In this situation, there is a paramount public interest in the prime minister being able to dedicate his full time and energy to these immense tasks.
"In addition, granting a pardon will enable the prime minister to work toward healing the national divide, and also to address other issues — such as the justice system and the media — matters he is currently prevented from dealing with due to the ongoing trial.”
The prime minister offers neither remorse nor apology. Instead, he writes that while his personal preference would have been to see the trial through and prove his innocence, “the public interest instructs otherwise.” He frames the pardon request as an act of “public responsibility” aimed at fostering national reconciliation.
“I have no doubt that ending the trial will help,” Netanyahu wrote. “I am committed to doing everything in my power to mend the rifts, achieve unity and restore trust in the state’s institutions.”
According to Netanyahu’s request, the basis for receiving a pardon is “the good of the state” — which, he argues, would allow him to fully manage the country’s affairs.
“The prime minister believed from the outset, and still believes, that if the legal process proceeds to its end, it will conclude in full acquittal,” the request states. “He has had, and continues to have, substantial criticism of the conduct of the law enforcement authorities in handling his case, and these matters have been proven — and continue to be proven — in court these very days. For many years, the prime minister has been determined to prove these things in every lawful way available to him.”
The request continues: “At the same time, in recent years, tensions and disagreements among the different branches of government have intensified. Some of these disputes have led — on both sides — to unprofessional, sometimes personal attacks. The proceedings in the prime minister’s case have become fertile ground for disagreements and confrontations among the public and between state authorities. The criminal investigations and ongoing criminal trial have been a source of frustration, hardship and a sense of injustice for many in Israeli society.”
“The criminal proceedings against the prime minister harm Israel’s national interests, inflame divisions within the public and divert attention from the diplomatic and security issues on the national agenda. Recently, personal circumstances of one of the judges have resulted in the trial advancing at an unprecedented pace, with most days of the week dedicated to hearings. This imposes an increasing burden on the prime minister — precisely at a time when he must devote his full time and energy to the historic developments unfolding in the Middle East and around the world.”
During his Knesset address, Trump publicly calls on Herzog to pardon Netanyahu
(Video: Knesset Channel)
The move comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump sent Herzog a letter urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon — an intervention that drew widespread political and legal scrutiny in Israel.
Trump had earlier made a similar appeal to the president while addressing the Knesset, following the implementation of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza.