Netanyahu requests pardon as he faces corruption claims

Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official request for a pardon in an attempt to escape a corruption prosecution.

Micheal

Nov 30, 2025 - 20:46

Netanyahu requests pardon as he faces corruption claims

Israel’s prime minister, who is accused of bribery, breach of trust and fraud in three different cases, has been in and out of court since his trial began in 2020.

Allegations include suspicions that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of champagne and cigars from billionaire friends, offered to trade favours with a newspaper publisher and used his influence to help a wealthy telecom magnate in exchange for favourable coverage on a popular news site.
Last December, he said he had no time to smoke cigars or drink champagne, as he denied receiving illegal gifts in his first court appearance in the trial.

The request to Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, comes after Donald Trump publicly asked for the president to pardon Mr Netanyahu.

If Mr Herzog accepts the pardon request, the move will prove highly controversial in Israel and may lead to mass protests.

In a video statement, Mr Netanyahu said: “President Trump called for an immediate end to the trial so that, together with him, I could advance even more vigorously the vital interests shared by Israel and the United States, within a time window that may never return.”
He also said an end to his trial would “lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation” at a time of “enormous challenges”.

Mr Trump wrote a letter to Mr Herzog earlier this month asking for a pardon, repeating a request he made while addressing the Israeli parliament in October.

His address prompted huge applause from members of the government.

“While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli justice system, and its requirements, I believe that the ‘case’ against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution,” Mr Trump wrote in a letter to Mr Herzog on Nov 12.
Mr Herzog’s office said that the prime minister’s request is currently being transferred to the pardons department in the ministry of justice “which will gather the opinions of all the relevant authorities in the ministry”.

“Following this, their opinions will be transferred to the legal adviser in the office of the president and her team to formulate an additional opinion for the president,” his office said, adding that the president was “aware that this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications”.

“After receiving all of the relevant opinions, the president will responsibly and sincerely consider the request,” the statement said.

Mr Herzog’s office released a detailed letter signed by Mr Netanyahu and his lawyer, which states that a pardon will “allow the prime minister to devote all of his time, abilities and energy to advancing Israel in these critical times and to dealing with the challenges and opportunities that lie before it”.

“In addition, granting the request will help mend rifts between different sectors of the public, open the door to lowering the intensity of tensions, all for the purpose of strengthening the country’s national resilience,” the 111-page letter says.