JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL

Scores of Israelis protested near President Isaac Herzog’s home in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening to oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon from corruption charges.

Opposition lawmakers, including Knesset member Naama Lazimi, joined the protest, which demanded Herzog reject the pardon request, The Times of Israel daily reported.

Protesters held signs blaming Netanyahu for Israel’s political crisis and chanted, “You are the leader; you are the guilty.”

One demonstrator wore a Netanyahu mask and an orange prison-style jumpsuit to highlight his ongoing corruption trial.

The demonstration was held under the slogan “Pardon = Banana Republic,” with participants standing behind a large pile of bananas topped with a sign labeled “Pardon” in a satirical reference to the clemency request.

The protest came amid strong political and public reactions to Netanyahu’s move asking the president to end his years-long trial.

Earlier, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid urged Herzog not to grant a pardon unless Netanyahu admits guilt and retires from political life.

Netanyahu, 76, formally requested clemency on Sunday without admitting guilt, despite Israeli law requiring a confession before the president can issue a pardon.

His three corruption cases include Case 1000, which accuses Netanyahu and family members of receiving expensive gifts from businessmen in exchange for favors; Case 2000, which focuses on alleged dealings with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes to secure positive coverage; and Case 4000, which centers on alleged regulatory benefits to Bezeq telecommunication owner Shaul Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla news site.

Beyond the domestic charges, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu on Nov. 21, 2024, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, where more than 70,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 171,000 others injured since October 2023.