Israeli President Isaac Herzog signaled Sunday that he would not grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon at this stage, saying efforts to reach a plea deal should be exhausted before he considers clemency in the prime minister’s long-running corruption trial.
Herzog’s office said the president believes an agreement between Netanyahu’s defense team and prosecutors would be the “proper and correct solution” and that talks should be pursued “outside the walls of the court” before the pardon request itself is addressed. Herzog’s position means no pardon decision is expected soon.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, submitted a pardon request in November. He denies wrongdoing and says the cases against him are politically driven. The trial began in 2020, making him Israel’s first sitting prime minister to stand trial while in office. He is due back in court this week as proceedings resume.
The decision places Herzog between two heavy political pressures. Netanyahu’s supporters argue that ending the trial would reduce national division and allow the prime minister to focus on Israel’s security crises. His opponents say a pardon should not be granted unless Netanyahu admits guilt and leaves political life. The Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department has also warned that halting an ongoing trial would be an exceptional and legally problematic step, especially without a conviction, admission of guilt, or remorse.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, including during the recent Iran war, when the trial was temporarily paused. Herzog has maintained that any decision must be made under Israeli law and without outside pressure.
Herzog’s move now shifts attention toward possible mediation between Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whose relationship with the cabinet is deeply strained. The political calendar adds urgency: Israel’s next election is due by the end of October 2026.
