Benjamin Netanyahu seeks presidential pardon to end corruption trial, ignites political storm

Netanyahu pardon bid rocks Israel democracy

Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked Israel’s president to grant him a pardon from long-running corruption charges, in a dramatic move that has reignited fierce debate over the rule of law and democratic accountability.

The request, submitted on Sunday to the legal department of the Office of the President, was confirmed by Netanyahu’s office, while the president’s staff described it as an “extraordinary request,” carrying “significant implications.” Netanyahu insisted the step was necessary to help unify the nation at a time of deep regional instability.

Netanyahu is the only sitting Israeli prime minister in history to stand trial. He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases, all linked to alleged exchanges of political favours with wealthy supporters. He has consistently denied all wrongdoing and has not been convicted. He has repeatedly branded the case a politically motivated witch hunt by the media, police and judiciary.

In a videotaped address, the prime minister argued that the legal proceedings had become a national distraction. “The continuation of the trial tears us apart from within, stirs up this division, and deepens rifts. I am sure, like many others in the nation, that an immediate conclusion of the trial would greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs," he said.

He also complained that appearing in court three times a week was hampering his ability to govern effectively.

The pardon request comes just weeks after Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu. Earlier this month, Trump also sent a letter to Isaac Herzog describing the corruption case as “political, unjustified prosecution.”

The move triggered swift backlash from legal experts and opposition figures, who warned that granting a pardon during an ongoing trial could undermine democratic institutions. The request consists of two documents — a detailed legal letter signed by Netanyahu’s lawyer and a personal letter from the prime minister. These will now move through the justice ministry and the president’s legal advisory system for review.

Legal scholars have warned that a pardon cannot halt the trial. “It’s impossible,” said Emi Palmor, a former director general of the justice ministry. “You cannot claim that you’re innocent while the trial is going on and come to the president and ask him to intervene,” she said, adding that only the attorney general has the authority to suspend proceedings.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the president to reject the appeal, saying, “You cannot grant him a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life."

Netanyahu’s legal battle has already been repeatedly delayed due to Israel’s war following the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023, but his latest move has once again thrust the trial into the centre of Israel’s political crisis.

(With AP inputs)