Herzog\u2019s statement on Sunday confirmed that he wouldn\u2019t be issuing a pardon to the prime minister at this point.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs he has said several times in the past, President Isaac Herzog sees reaching an agreement between the parties in Prime Minister Netanyahu\u2019s cases as a proper and correct solution,\u201d Herzog\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNegotiations for an arrangement are a necessary part of the attempt to bring the parties to an agreement,\u201d he continued. \u201cTherefore, the president believes that it is right to first, before discussing the pardon request itself, exhaust a process that could lead to the formation of an agreement between the parties, outside the walls of the court.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Herzog has held off on granting Netanyahu a pardon despite immense pressure from US President Donald Trump. Trump has personally lashed out at Herzog multiple times, calling him \u201cweak and pathetic\u201d and demanding that he immediately pardon the prime minister.<\/p>\n Netanyahu\u2019s supporters have echoed that request, insisting on Netanyahu\u2019s innocence and saying the trial is dividing the country. Netanyahu\u2019s opponents, meanwhile, have urged the president not to grant the premier clemency unless he admits guilt and resigns from political life.<\/p>\n \t Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister to go on trial. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has claimed that the cases against him \u2014 which concern allegations that he traded political favors for gifts and favorable press coverage \u2014 are a witch hunt and a political coup attempt fabricated by his opponents.<\/p>\n The prime minister formally requested a pardon<\/a> in November, arguing that the trial was tearing the country apart and distracting him from his duties. But he did not admit guilt, raising the question of whether he could receive a pardon while his trial was still ongoing.<\/p>\n \u201cIsrael is facing enormous challenges, and alongside them great opportunities,\u201d Netanyahu said at the time in a video statement. \u201cTo repel the threats and realize the opportunities, national unity is required.\u201d<\/p>\n He argued that the trial\u2019s continuation \u201cstirs divisions and deepens rifts. I am certain, as are many others in the nation, that an immediate end to the trial would greatly help lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation \u2014 something our country desperately needs.\u201d<\/p>\n \t Herzog said at the time that he would consider the \u201cextraordinary request\u201d after receiving an expert opinion from the Justice Ministry.<\/p>\n Last month, the Pardons Department of the Justice Ministry published a position paper<\/a> saying that\u00a0it would be extremely problematic to grant Netanyahu a pardon since his trial is ongoing and he has not yet been convicted, and since he has not admitted any guilt or expressed any remorse.<\/p>\n \u201cTherefore, based on the factual and legal foundation and the overall set of circumstances currently before us, we cannot determine that the pardon authority established in the Basic Law: The President of the State applies in this case,\u201d the department said in summary.<\/p>\n \u201cLikewise, we cannot recommend that the president take the exceptional and far-reaching step of exercising the pardon authority in a manner that would halt the legal proceedings currently being conducted against Mr. Netanyahu.\u201d<\/p>\n A position paper later submitted by far-right Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu reportedly endorsed Netanyahu\u2019s pardon request. Eliyahu was acting in place of Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who recused himself due to a conflict of interest. Herzog\u2019s legal counsel has yet to submit an official recommendation, the Times said.<\/p>\n Eliyahu on Sunday criticized Herzog\u2019s decision to seek a plea bargain.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unfortunate that the president of the country has today chosen the easy way out of legal procedure, rather than the path of leadership,\u201d he posted on X, saying Herzog had \u201cmissed a historic opportunity to mend the rift and lead us to victory.\u201d<\/p>\n He called for the government to pursue \u201cnecessary fundamental changes in the judicial system,\u201d likely referring to the government\u2019s contentious judicial overhaul, which aims to weaken the courts.<\/p>\n \t Now, instead of rendering a decision on the pardon request, Herzog will seek to hold arbitration talks in order to reach a deal.<\/p>\n The talks promise to be no small task. According to the Times, they will place Netanyahu\u2019s lawyer Amit Hadad on one side of the negotiating table, opposite Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, a bitter ideological foe of Netanyahu\u2019s government.<\/p>\n The premier\u2019s coalition has repeatedly sought to fire Baharav-Miara, who has blocked or refused to defend several of its legislative initiatives because, she says, they contravene the law. Ministers have called on the government to disregard her authority.<\/p>\n Herzog, however, believes the talks have a chance of success, according to the report, which said he feels the \u201clegal landscape leaves room for creativity and innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/F251028MA07-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tIllustrative: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the courtroom of the Tel Aviv District Court in the trial against him, October 28, 2025. (Miriam Alster\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/F250707YS65-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tHeritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu during a meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on July 7, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/F250930OBH021-e1762600115920-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tAttorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attends a hearing of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee in Jerusalem, September 30, 2025. (Oren Ben Hakoon\/ Flash90)<\/p>\n
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