Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently standing trial for corruption, has announced that he has submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon. He said the long running trials are dividing the country and must be brought to an end.
His request comes after United States President Donald Trump wrote to Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier this month, urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon. Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations against him.
In a video statement on Sunday, the prime minister said his trial, which has lasted nearly six years and may continue for many more, is taking a toll on Israel’s unity.
He said he had always wanted to clear his name through the court process, but the political and security situation in the country requires him to act differently in the national interest.
According to him, the continuation of the trial is fueling internal divisions and deepening rifts in Israeli society.
The corruption cases against Netanyahu have been a major source of tension, splitting the public between supporters who insist he is being targeted for political reasons and critics who accuse him of abusing his office.
Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused in one case of receiving luxury gifts, including cigars, jewellery and champagne worth more than two hundred and sixty thousand dollars from wealthy businessmen in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, he is accused of seeking favourable media coverage.
He said the recent demand that he testify three times a week made the situation unbearable.
Netanyahu said many Israelis believe that ending the trial immediately would reduce political tensions and help the country heal.
President Herzog’s office confirmed that it has received his request. The office described it as an extraordinary application with serious implications. It said all relevant opinions will be reviewed before the president makes a decision.
Last September, Herzog had hinted that he might consider a pardon because of the impact the trial continues to have on Israeli society.
Netanyahu, now seventy six years old, is Israel’s longest serving prime minister with more than eighteen years in office across three different periods since 1996.
His current term, which began in 2022, has been marked by controversial proposals to reform the judiciary. Critics said the reforms were aimed at weakening the courts. Massive protests erupted across the country before they were halted by the Gaza conflict in October 2023.
Netanyahu has said he plans to contest the next national elections which must hold before the end of 2026.
Opposition leaders criticised him for seeking a pardon without admitting guilt. Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, said the president must not grant the request unless Netanyahu accepts responsibility, apologises and retires completely from politics.
Another opposition figure, Yair Golan, said only someone who believes he is guilty would seek a pardon. He insisted that Netanyahu must admit wrongdoing and step aside for national unity.
Some members of the ruling coalition however backed Netanyahu. Defence Minister Israel Katz urged the president to grant the pardon to help resolve the divisions that have troubled Israeli society for nearly ten years.
There has been speculation that Netanyahu might agree to drop some of his controversial judicial reforms in exchange for an end to his legal troubles. But Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the judicial reforms will continue regardless. He described Netanyahu as a victim of a corrupt judicial system that has targeted him for years.
