Israelis didn\u2019t go for it. Despite polls consistently showing a slight advantage for Herzog\u2019s Zionist Union party, Netanyahu decisively won the election<\/a>, sending Herzog back to the opposition and, eventually, out of the Knesset.<\/p>\n Running for president six years later, he tried again, this time campaigning to win the votes of 61 Knesset members \u2014 and succeeded with flying colors. In the 2021 presidential race, Herzog won<\/a> 87 out of 120 possible votes, more than in any contested presidential election in Israeli history.<\/p>\n In the five years since, some of the country\u2019s most tumultuous ever, the unassuming, pareve Herzog has struggled to make his mark as other presidents have. Like his predecessor, Reuven Rivlin, he attempted to navigate the widening gyre of Israel\u2019s polarized society. Like former president Shimon Peres, he tried his hand at regional diplomacy. But he has yet to leave an indelible legacy.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Until now, that is.<\/p>\n In November, Herzog had history thrust upon him when Netanyahu formally requested a pardon<\/a> in his long-running corruption trial \u2014 something only the president has the power to grant. On Sunday, Herzog gave his answer<\/a>: Not a yes or a no, but a pitch to negotiate a plea deal that he will mediate.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an unorthodox proposal and, for Herzog personally, an audacious one. The ensuing negotiations, if they happen, won\u2019t only determine whether an amicable resolution can be found to one of the most charged issues dividing Israeli society.<\/p>\n They will also act as the ultimate test of Herzog\u2019s entire approach to politics, a gamble that quiet discussions aimed at reaching consensus, rather than bellicose bombast, can succeed in resolving one of the country\u2019s thorniest conflicts.<\/p>\n The stakes are high: If Herzog succeeds in forging a deal that both sides consider acceptable, he may innovate a new way of addressing pardon requests, and be remembered as the president who helped mend what seemed an intractable rift.<\/p>\n But if he fails, and there are a few reasons to think he might, the consequences could be disastrous. A collapsed negotiation could lead to heightened vitriol and a legal battle that feels increasingly unsolvable. And it could cause one side (or both) to lose faith in the office of the president, who is supposed to remain above the fray, at a time when the country\u2019s politics are messier than ever.<\/p>\n \t Reasons for optimism\u2026<\/p>\n Herzog does have a few reasons for optimism. Netanyahu is clearly anxious for the trial to end, and polls show<\/a> Israelis at large are roughly split on the issue. That indicates that, if a deal is to be had, it can probably count on some measure of public support.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Herzog<\/a> multiple times over the issue, calling him \u201cweak and pathetic\u201d for not pardoning the prime minister. He may erupt yet again if he feels like Herzog is dragging out the process.<\/p>\n But Trump may appreciate this bid for negotiations. It\u2019s hard to imagine two politicians who are more different, in style and temperament, than Herzog and Trump. But Mr. Art of the Deal may just go with the flow if the talks lead to something (and if he can take credit for pushing it forward).<\/p>\n \u2026But slim chances of success<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean the talks are likely to succeed. The core of the disagreement appears to be over whether Netanyahu must admit guilt or step down, two things he has refused to do. In its explanation of why the prime minister couldn\u2019t receive clemency, the Justice Ministry\u2019s Pardons Department noted that Netanyahu had not admitted guilt<\/a> or expressed any remorse for his alleged actions, which is usually key to requesting a pardon.<\/p>\n Herzog reportedly envisions the negotiations being between Netanyahu\u2019s lawyer, Amit Haddad, and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. There\u2019s no love lost between the attorney general and the government, and neither of those sides seems ready to back down from its current position.<\/p>\n Baharav-Miara has made it her mission to defend the rule of law, including the continuation of Netanyahu\u2019s trial, despite overwhelming pressure from his coalition, which tried to fire her. She isn\u2019t likely to give in now.<\/p>\n And Netanyahu has spent much of the last decade loudly asserting his innocence and calling the trial a witch hunt. He isn\u2019t likely to give in, either, especially in an election year.<\/p>\n \t The chances for a deal feel even slimmer considering there have been multiple attempts at just such a negotiation, and none have succeeded. Previous efforts by retired Supreme Court president Aharon Barak fell apart<\/a> because Netanyahu didn\u2019t want to agree to a finding of moral turpitude, which carries a seven-year ban on holding public office.<\/p>\n Betting on quietly building trust<\/p>\n Can Herzog defy the odds? Early in his term, he stood out for taking a hand in sensitive talks<\/a> with leaders across the region, including by securing the freedom of an Israeli couple detained in Turkey for alleged espionage.<\/p>\n He does, in fact, have a reputation for building trust and being on good terms with people across the political spectrum, hence the 87 votes he got in the 2021 election.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t make a big to-do out of it. He just did his job, using his good connections with the Turks. It\u2019s not something we\u2019re used to,\u201d Avi Benayahu, a former IDF spokesman, said about the detained couple back in 2021, contrasting Herzog\u2019s style with Netanyahu, who returned to office the following year.<\/p>\n \t Throughout the almost five years of his tenure so far, Herzog has enjoyed relatively high levels of trust from an Israeli public that is generally very skeptical of the country\u2019s institutions.<\/p>\n Last year, according to the Israel Democracy Institute<\/a>, 41 percent of Jews and 27% of Arabs said they trusted him, much higher than the scores the government received (25% and 14%, respectively).<\/p>\n But trust in the president is also declining. The 41% of Jews is a sharp drop, for example, from the 58% who said they trusted him<\/a> in 2022, before the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack. After that, overall trust in the country\u2019s leaders appears to have fallen.<\/p>\n One test after another<\/p>\n The other factor at play here is that in six months, after the next Knesset election, Herzog will exercise his other main non-ceremonial role: tapping someone to form the next government.<\/p>\n That job, too, is sensitive and fraught with controversy, and depends on maintaining the trust of a wide array of warring parties.<\/p>\n If Herzog fails in the monumental task of bringing an end to Netanyahu\u2019s trial, it could damage public trust in his ability to manage the election\u2019s aftermath.<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tLeft to right, front row: Defense Minister Israel Katz, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir attend the graduation ceremony of an IDF officers\u2019 course, on February 19, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov\/FLASH90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Untitled-2-640x400.jpeg\")
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\n\t\tPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 1, 2024. (Amos Ben Gershom\/GPO); Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara at a farewell ceremony for retiring acting Supreme Court president Uzi Vogelman, at the Supreme Court, in Jerusalem, October 1, 2024. (Oren Ben Hakoon\/ POOL\/ File)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Image-from-iOS-2-640x400.jpg\")
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\n\t\tPresident Isaac Herzog (R) meets Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa, February 25, 2026 (Haim Zach\/GPO)<\/p>\n