Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon while he stands trial on corruption and fraud charges – weeks after President Donald Trump sent his own letter urging clemency.
Netanyahu highlighted concerns about public division in his request. Although he explicitly did not admit guilt, he wrote that the pardon would allow him to “reconcile the national divide” and “extinguish the fire” in the arguments surrounding his trial.
Herzog’s office released a statement on Sunday saying it has received Netanyahu’s formal pardon request, calling it “extraordinary” and acknowledging that it carries “significant implications.”
The request, in accordance with guidelines and procedures, was transferred to the Pardons Division of the Ministry of Justice, which will collect opinions from relevant authorities on the matter, the president’s office said.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the plenum of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2025. (Reuters/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo)
The opinions will then be sent to the legal advisor of the President’s Office, who will formulate additional advice for Herzog.
“After receiving all relevant opinions, the President will consider the request responsibly and honestly,” Herzog’s office said in the statement.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is welcomed with a full military guard of honor upon his arrival, marking the first-ever state visit by an Israeli head of state, at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Zambia, October 10, 2025. (Reuters/Mozes Mwape)
Netanyahu is currently on trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. The trial, which began in 2020, marked the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister testified as a criminal defendant.
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Earlier this month, Trump urged Herzog in a letter to grant Netanyahu a full pardon. Trump wrote that Netanyahu has been a “formidable and decisive” leader for Israel in a time of war and has led Israel “to a time of peace.”
President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Trump wrote that while he “absolutely” respects the independence of Israel’s judicial system, he believes the case against Netanyahu is a “political, unwarranted prosecution.”
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Trump had previously urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during a speech in Israel’s Knesset in October.
