30.11.2025 14:20
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is being tried in three separate corruption cases, has officially requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu's decision to apply for a pardon following Trump's letter has drawn attention. According to Israeli law, for a pardon to be granted, individuals must acknowledge their crimes, demonstrate genuine remorse, and apologize.
The Israeli Presidency announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official pardon request to President Isaac Herzog through his lawyer Amit Hadad. Officials stated that the request will be processed by the Justice Ministry's Pardon Department, while the Presidential Office described the application as "an extraordinary step with potentially serious consequences."
HE NEEDS TO SHOW REMORSE AND APOLOGIZE FOR PARDON
According to Israeli law, for a pardon to be granted, individuals are expected to acknowledge their crimes, show genuine remorse, and apologize. However, it has been reported that these expressions were not included in the letter submitted by Netanyahu.
According to a report by the Jerusalem Post, the pardon request consists of two documents: a comprehensive legal text prepared by Hadad and a personal letter signed by Netanyahu. Due to the extraordinary importance of the application, both documents were made public in Hebrew.
Support for Netanyahu is growing within the Likud party. Last month, a letter signed by Likud ministers and deputy ministers was sent to President Herzog, calling for "steps to be taken that would contribute to the restoration of social unity." Although the Likud letter did not directly contain a request for a pardon, it emphasized that the President's constitutional powers should be reminded and that the country's "extraordinary circumstances" should be taken into account.
REQUEST FOR PARDON FOLLOWING TRUMP'S LETTER
According to Al Jazeera, the development occurred after former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Netanyahu should be pardoned in his corruption cases.
Netanyahu is being tried on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases opened in 2019. According to legal procedures, for President Herzog to exercise his pardon authority, Netanyahu must acknowledge his guilt and make an official request.
This month, Trump called for Netanyahu's pardon in a letter he sent to Herzog, describing the corruption case as "political" and "baseless." However, in a statement on November 13, Netanyahu said he would not request a pardon from Herzog as long as the dismissal of his case was contingent upon his acknowledgment of guilt.