Netanyah seeks presidential pardon for corruption charges

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked the country's president for forgiveness in his long-standing corruption trial for years, arguing that criminal proceedings were hindering his ability to govern and that a presidential pardon would be beneficial for Israel.

Netanyah, the prime minister who served longer in Israel's history, has denied accusations of bribery, fraud, and violation of faith. His lawyers said in a letter to the president's office that the prime minister still believes legal procedures will end with complete innocence.

My “Avicts today submitted an apology request to the president of the country. I expect anyone who wants the country's best interests to support this step”, Netanyahu said a short video address published by his political party, Likud.

Israeli President Isaac Herzeg's office announced earlier Sunday that they have accepted the request, also publishing the letter of lawyers.

US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog this month, urging him to consider extending his apology to the prime minister, arguing that the case against him was “a political and unwarranted prosecution”.

Herzog's office said the request will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice's Department of Forgiveness, according to standard practice, to collect opinions, which the president's legal adviser will then be presented, which will formulate a recommendation for the president.

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin is a member of Netanyahu's Likud party and a close ally of the prime minister.

In the letter, Netanyah's lawyers argued that criminal proceedings against him have deepened social divisions and that the outcome of the trial is necessary for national reconciliation. They also wrote that more and more frequent court hearings have become a burden, while the prime minister is trying to govern.

I'm forced to testify three times a week... This is an impossible request, which is not made to other citizens”, Netanyahu said in the video message, stressing that he had taken public confidence by winning the elections repeatedly.

In Israel, forgiveness has traditionally been granted only after legal procedures have been completed and the defendant has been convicted. Netanyah's lawyers argued that the president can intervene when public interest is at stake, as in this case, with the aim of healing divisions and strengthening national unity.

Opposition leader Jair Lapid said Netanyahu should not be forgiven without admitting guilt, without expressing regret and without drawing back from political life, broadcasts Periscope.

Charges were brought against Netanyah in 2019 in three separate but linked cases, having at the centre the accusations that he has given the known business figures favors in exchange for gifts and media coverage in his favor.

The Israelite prime minister has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Coalition allies issued statements supporting Netanyah's request for forgiveness, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Grav, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Opposition politician Yair Golan, a former deputy chairman of the army staff, called on the prime minister to resign, urging the president not to forgive him.

Netanyah is one of Israel's most polarising political figures, which was first elected prime minister in 1996. He has served as a government ever since, but has also been in opposition. He returned to the prime minister's office after the 2022 elections.

The upcoming elections are expected to be held by October 2026, and many polls show that his coalition -- the rightist in Israel's history -- would have difficulty winning enough seats in Parliament to form an executive. REL