Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog to pardon him from long‑standing corruption charges.
Gatekeepers News reports that the prime minister alleged that the move is in the public interest. The charges against Netanyahu include allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, tied to various cases in which he is accused of accepting luxury gifts such as cigars and champagne from wealthy patrons in return for political favors.
Indicted in 2019, he became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges. Though the trial began in 2020, it was postponed due to COVID‑19 restrictions; proceedings have since resumed and witnesses have provided testimony, with the court now pushing to accelerate the trial’s timetable.
Netanyahu’s request, conveyed in a one‑page letter submitted by his office on Sunday, did not include an admission of guilt. Instead, it stressed that granting clemency would serve broader societal interests.
Herzog’s office described the plea as an extraordinary request, noting its significant implications, and pledged to consider it with great care and responsibility.
