{"id":112218,"date":"2026-05-13T17:21:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/112218\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T17:21:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T17:21:27","slug":"isaac-herzog-urges-talks-toward-benjamin-netanyahu-trial-resolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/112218\/","title":{"rendered":"Isaac Herzog urges talks toward Benjamin Netanyahu trial resolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday again pressed for negotiations toward an agreed resolution in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a>\u2019s criminal trial, saying that Israel\u2019s deepest internal crises should, where possible, be handled through dialogue rather than further rupture.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the President\u2019s Conference for a Shared Israeli Tomorrow, Herzog addressed what he called \u201cthe elephant in the room\u201d \u2013 Netanyahu\u2019s request for a presidential pardon and the possibility of a plea arrangement.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important for me to say why I am demanding dialogue toward an arrangement, and why I am demanding contacts toward an arrangement,\u201d Herzog said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I truly believe that on these heavy issues, which scorch the heart of Israeli society and divide it, the right way, as much as possible, is to reach understandings and arrangements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Herzog added that the matter was difficult for all involved, including the parties themselves. \u201cBut once one side said it was willing to come into the room, I also expect the other side to enter the room,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors open to preliminary talks<\/p>\n

The comments came after Herzog\u2019s legal team invited Netanyahu\u2019s defense attorneys and the prosecution to preliminary talks meant to test whether a plea arrangement could be explored before the president considers the pardon request itself.<\/p>\n

Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman<\/a> informed Herzog\u2019s office earlier this month that they were prepared to hold contacts with Netanyahu\u2019s defense team, while making clear that any such talks would take place without preconditions and without affecting the continued progress of the trial.<\/p>\n

\"HarediHaredi rabbis speak at mass protest against draft law in Jerusalem, January 6, 2026. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM\/THE JERUSALEM POST)<\/p>\n

Netanyahu formally requested a pardon in November 2025, while his trial was still ongoing and without admitting guilt, a posture that has raised legal and public questions over whether such a pardon could be granted before conviction.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000. He denies all charges. His testimony began in December 2024, and the trial is currently in the cross-examination stage, after testimony resumed following a hiatus during the Iran war.<\/p>\n

Herzog warns against rising political tensions<\/p>\n

Herzog also tied his appeal for restraint to the broader political moment, as Israel moves toward elections amid renewed coalition turbulence over the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) draft law.<\/p>\n

Haredi coalition<\/a> factions have threatened to advance the dissolution of the Knesset after Netanyahu reportedly indicated that legislation regulating haredi military service would not be advanced before elections. Israel is required by law to hold elections no later than October 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now entering elections,\u201d Herzog said. \u201cI have already said there are fuel fumes in the air when you enter elections, certainly in a society with so much polarization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, he said, much of the public wanted the temperature lowered, even if it did not know how to translate that desire into political action.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the silent majority is ready to enlist with full force, including to tell its elected officials: lower the flames,\u201d Herzog said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday again pressed for negotiations toward an agreed resolution in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":112219,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[11285,37,16706,4028,30101],"class_list":{"0":"post-112218","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-haredi-draft","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-israel-elections","11":"tag-knesset","12":"tag-netanyahu-trial"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@iran\/116568423428878402","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112218"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112218\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}