Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced Sunday that he will postpone any decision on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request, stating that negotiations for a plea agreement must be fully explored first in the prime minister’s ongoing corruption case.
According to Herzog’s office, the president views a negotiated settlement between Netanyahu’s legal team and prosecutors as the “proper and correct solution” and believes discussions should take place “outside the walls of the court” before any pardon consideration moves forward. This stance indicates that no clemency decision will come in the near future.
The Israeli Prime Minister, who faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, filed his pardon petition in November. Netanyahu maintains his innocence and claims the charges are politically motivated. His trial started in 2020, marking the first time in Israeli history that a sitting prime minister has faced trial while serving in office. Court proceedings are set to continue this week.
Herzog finds himself caught between intense political pressures from opposing sides. Netanyahu’s allies contend that concluding the trial would help heal national divisions and enable the prime minister to concentrate on Israel’s security challenges. Critics argue that any pardon should require Netanyahu to acknowledge guilt and step away from politics. The Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department has cautioned that stopping an active trial would represent an extraordinary and legally questionable action, particularly without a conviction, guilty plea, or expression of remorse.
US President Donald Trump has made multiple appeals to Herzog requesting Netanyahu’s pardon, including during the recent conflict with Iran when trial proceedings were temporarily suspended. Herzog has consistently stated that any decision must comply with Israeli law and remain free from external influence.
Herzog’s announcement now directs focus toward potential negotiations between Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, whose relationship with the government has become severely strained. The political timeline creates additional pressure, as Israel’s next scheduled election must occur by late October 2026.
