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Netanyahu Seeks Pardon from DDD President in Corruption Cases, Citing National Interest<\/strong><\/p>\n Israeli, 2 Dec 2025 (BNN Web Staff)<\/strong><\/p>\n In a dramatic development amid his ongoing corruption trial, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a presidential pardon from President Isaac Herzog for charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The appeal, submitted on Sunday, November 30, 2025, argues that ending the five-year trial would serve the “national interest” by healing deep societal divisions and allowing Netanyahu to focus on governance during challenging times.<\/p>\n Background on the Cases<\/strong><\/p>\n Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020 in three high-profile corruption cases:<\/p>\n Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing, insisting the charges are a politically motivated “witch hunt” orchestrated by opponents and a biased judicial system. He maintains his innocence and has no intention of resigning.<\/p>\n The Pardon Request: A Precedent-Setting Move<\/strong><\/p>\n In a letter and video statement released alongside the request, Netanyahu described the trial as “tearing us apart from within” and fueling “fierce divisions.” He argued that requiring him to testify three times a week is an “impossible demand” that hampers his leadership, especially as Israel faces external threats and opportunities for regional normalization.<\/p>\n Notably, Netanyahu did not admit guilt\u2014a key point of contention, as Israeli pardons are typically granted only post-conviction and often require remorse. Legal experts, including constitutional scholar Suzie Navot, have called the request “precedent-setting and highly controversial,” noting it echoes a rare 1986 pre-indictment pardon but lacks the necessary admission of fault.<\/p>\n President’s Response: A “Very Special” and “Extraordinary” Request<\/strong><\/p>\n Herzog’s office acknowledged the submission, describing it as a “very special request with significant implications.” The president pledged to review it “responsibly and sincerely” after consulting the Justice Ministry’s pardons department, legal advisors, and considering public interest factors. No timeline was given for a decision.<\/p>\n As a largely ceremonial role, the presidency holds sole pardon authority, but such interventions in active trials are extremely rare.<\/p>\n Trump’s Influence and Broader Context<\/strong><\/p>\n The timing aligns with recent U.S. President Donald Trump’s intervention. In a letter dated earlier in November\u2014delivered on White House letterhead\u2014Trump urged Herzog to “fully pardon” Netanyahu, calling the cases a “political, unjustified prosecution” and praising him as a “formidable wartime prime minister.” Trump had previously made the plea during an October speech to Israel’s Knesset, suggesting a pardon could aid peace efforts.<\/p>\n Netanyahu explicitly cited Trump’s support in his request, arguing it would strengthen U.S.-Israel ties during a critical “window of time.”<\/p>\n Polarized Reactions<\/strong><\/p>\n With Israel’s next election due by October 2026, polls suggest Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition could face challenges, making the pardon a high-stakes gamble in his political survival.<\/p>\n Netanyahu Seeks Pardon from DDD President in Corruption Cases, Citing National Interest Israeli, 2 Dec 2025 (BNN Web Staff)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_container_layout":"default_layout","colormag_page_sidebar_layout":"default_layout","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[229],"tags":[2890,2891,1797,1798,1655,1799,2892,2893,2894,98,2895,1843,2368],"class_list":["post-2959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","tag-citing-national-interest","tag-corruption-cases","tag-israeli-airstrikes","tag-israeli-military-operations","tag-israeli-woman","tag-israeli-palestinian-conflict","tag-netanyahu","tag-president","tag-seeks-pardon","tag-world-news","tag-world-war-iii-fears","tag-worlds-best-cities-report-2026","tag-worlds-largest-city"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"colormag-highlighted-post":false,"colormag-featured-post-medium":false,"colormag-featured-post-small":false,"colormag-featured-image":false,"colormag-default-news":false,"colormag-featured-image-large":false},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18e12f979c7dbcc2096868fc531de295a11443c392b4bb6e60ce343131707eaa?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":false,"magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":" Netanyahu Seeks Pardon from DDD President in Corruption Cases, Citing National Interest Israeli, 2 Dec 2025 (BNN Web Staff)","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["World News"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":false,"medium":false,"thumbnail":false},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/mediapbn.com\/?author=3"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/18e12f979c7dbcc2096868fc531de295a11443c392b4bb6e60ce343131707eaa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"World News<\/a>","videoUrl":"","yoast_head":"\n\n
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