Tel Aviv, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today submitted a formal request for clemency to President Isaac Herzog. This move comes in an attempt to end his criminal trial on corruption charges, which has been ongoing since 2019.
The 14-page request includes a letter from his lawyer and a personal letter from Netanyahu. In it, he expresses his desire to “achieve national reconciliation” without admitting the charges or offering an apology, asserting that ending the trial immediately will allow for a greater focus on security challenges.
The request was referred to the Pardons Department at the Ministry of Justice to study the legal opinions of the relevant authorities before President Herzog makes his decision.
The request coincided with American pressure. It came after a letter from former US President Donald Trump, in which he explicitly called for a pardon for Netanyahu, describing the charges against him as “politically unjustified.”
This development represents a pivotal moment in Netanyahu’s political career and could affect his political future amid ongoing regional tensions.
