Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon from corruption charges in an effort to end a trial that has deeply divided the country. Netanyahu, charged with fraud, breach of trust, and bribery in three separate cases, argues that the trial distracts from his leadership and threatens national unity, calling for an immediate resolution.
The request followed public encouragement from U.S. President Donald Trump and has triggered protests and backlash from opposition figures who warn that granting a pardon before conviction undermines the rule of law. Netanyahu’s supporters, however, argue that the pardon would help restore unity and allow the nation to move forward. “The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within, stirs up this division, and deepens rifts,” Netanyahu said. Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded, “You cannot grant him a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life.”