Israeli president says Netanyahu’s pardon request ‘sparks debate’ in society

By Abdel Ra'ouf Arnaout and Rania Abu Shamala

JERUSALEM/ ISTANBUL (AA) – Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon in his corruption trial “sparks debate” within Israeli society.

The pardon request “will be handled in the most proper and precise way. I will consider only the good of the state and Israeli society,” Herzog said in a statement by his office.

Netanyahu’s move “unsettles many people in this country, across different communities, and it sparks debate,” he added.

“One thing is clear to me — violent discourse does not influence me,” Herzog said.

On Sunday, Netanyahu officially asked Herzog to pardon him of corruption charges, but the opposition called on the Israeli president to reject the request unless the premier admits guilt and commits to withdrawing from political life.

US President Donald Trump has also asked Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who has headed the current government since late 2022.

Supporters of the request claim that pardoning Netanyahu would restore unity among Israelis and end divisions.

According to leaked information from Netanyahu’s office, the review of the pardon request by the president may require weeks of examination.

Since the start of his trial, Netanyahu has refused to admit guilt, while Israeli law only allows the president to grant a pardon after an admission of guilt.

In January, Netanyahu began interrogation sessions related to corruption charges in cases designated 1000, 2000, and 4000, all of which he denies.

Case 1000 involves accusations that Netanyahu and his wife received expensive gifts such as cigars and champagne from wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favors.

Case 2000 concerns alleged negotiations with Arnon Mozes, publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, to gain favorable media coverage.

Case 4000, considered the most serious, involves allegations of providing regulatory and other benefits to Shaul Elovitch, the former owner of the news site Walla and the Bezeq telecommunications company, in exchange for favorable media coverage.

The Israeli premier also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where over 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.