Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially requested a pardon from the president amidst his ongoing corruption trial.
On Sunday, the prime minister’s office announced that Netanyahu had formally appealed to the legal department within the Office of the President for clemency.
This request was described by the office as ‘extraordinary’ and carrying ‘significant implications.’
The appeal follows closely on the heels of a letter from Donald Trump to President Isaac Herzog, advocating for a ‘full pardon’ of Netanyahu, whom Trump considers an ally.
Netanyahu stands as the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face trial, with charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes linked to allegations of providing political favors to affluent supporters. To date, he has not been convicted.
In a video message, Netanyahu expressed that the trial has caused division within the nation and argued that a pardon could be a step towards healing and national unity.
He also said the requirement that he appear in court three times a week is a distraction that makes it difficult for him to lead the country.
His request consisted of two document – a detailed letter signed by his lawyer and a letter signed by Netanyahu.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a plenary session at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, November 10, 2025
The plea comes just weeks after Donald Trump sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog urging him to ‘fully pardon’ his ally
In a statement on Sunday the prime minister’s office said Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President, Isaac Herzog (pictured)
They will be sent to the justice ministry for opinions and will then be transferred to the legal adviser in the Office of the President, which will formulate additional opinions for the president, Isaac Herzog.
The Israeli premier addressed the move with a video statement.
He said: ‘My personal interest was to complete the legal process until the end – the military and national reality, the national interest, demand otherwise.
‘Ending the trial immediately would advance much needed national reconciliation.
‘The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, arousing fierce divisions, intensifying rifts.
‘I am certain, like many others in the nation, that an immediate end to the trial will greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs.’
His comments come as the world continues to monitor the war in Gaza which is nearing its end after just over two years.
Hamas and Israel have agreed to a Trump-brokered peace deal which has already seen the remaining living hostages released and Palestinian prisoners exchanged.
Ceasefire infractions have been reported by both sides in the month since the deal was signed off but it remains in place.
Trump sent a letter to PM Herzog at the start of November urging him to consider a pardon due to the pressure on Netanyahu to maintain peace in the Middle East.
The US president said Netanyahu ‘stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries’ and now his ‘attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted’.
President Herzog’s office confirmed they received the request today.
In a statement, they called it ‘an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications’.
They are waiting to receive all ‘relevant opinions’ on the case before the president ‘responsibly and sincerely’ considers the request.
Herzog and his team will then make a final decision.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases, including allegations of receiving nearly £166,500 in gifts from business representatives.
These luxury gifts reportedly included cigars, pink champagne and jewellery.
The case was first heard in 2020 and has seen the PM plead not guilty to all charges.
It has been ongoing ever since.
