Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a pardon from the president regarding the corruption case that has been ongoing against him for the past five years.
According to the international news agency Reuters, Prime Minister Netanyahu, through his lawyer, submitted a request for pardon to the President’s Office on Sunday.
He has been facing charges of corruption, fraud, and breach of trust since 2019.
Netanyahu has long claimed that the case against him is fabricated and that he will be cleared by the court.
However, stating that the ongoing case has hindered his ability to run the country and the government, he has asked the President’s Office to free him from it.
“Today, my lawyers have submitted a request for pardon to the president. I expect everyone who wishes for the good of the country to support this step,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, however, said that a general pardon is only considered after a person is found guilty or receives a sentence, and that such a condition does not exist at present. “A pardon should not be granted to Netanyahu unless he admits guilt, expresses remorse, and immediately retires from politics,” he stated.
In Israel, it is traditionally practiced to grant a pardon only after the court process concludes and guilt is established. But Netanyahu’s lawyers argue that the case is tied to national interest and that the president can make a special intervention.
The office of President Isaac Herzog has stated that Netanyahu’s request is a serious matter and that a responsible decision will be made after collecting opinions from all sides.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump also wrote a letter to Herzog, urging him to grant a pardon to Netanyahu, arguing that the case against him was politically motivated.
Netanyahu was charged in three separate cases in 2019.
In those cases, he was accused of receiving gifts and favorable media coverage in exchange for providing advantages to influential businessmen. He has repeatedly denied all the allegations. Leaders within the coalition government, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have stood in his support.
Opposition MP Yair Golan, however, said that Netanyahu should resign and that the president should not grant him a pardon. Netanyahu is considered one of Israel’s most controversial leaders. He was first elected prime minister in 1996 and returned to power following the 2022 elections.
Netanyahu has also faced international criticism for his leadership following the Gaza war that began after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent regional conflicts.
Various opinion polls indicate that the current far-right coalition government will find it difficult to secure enough seats in the elections scheduled for October 2026.
