Israel's president under pressure to grant Netanyahu pardon in corruption case, citing national interest.
In a move that could be precedent-setting and highly contentious, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog to issue him with a pardon in the ongoing corruption trial, arguing that it would be in the "national interest" to do so. The submission was made last Sunday, just weeks after former US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon for bribery and fraud charges.
Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case, which dates back to 2020 and involves allegations of corruption and favoritism towards wealthy donors in exchange for gifts or positive media coverage. The trial is seen as a major embarrassment for Netanyahu, who has been accused by his critics of prolonging the conflict in Gaza in order to keep his coalition intact.
In his request to Herzog, Netanyahu stated that he believed ending the trial immediately would be beneficial not only for himself but also for the country's unity and stability. However, experts and critics have disputed this claim, arguing that a pardon without an admission of guilt or resignation would undermine the rule of law and set a troubling precedent.
According to Suzie Navot, a constitutional law professor at the Israeli Democracy Institute, Netanyahu's request is problematic because it ignores the principles of accountability and responsibility. "This would be stopping an ongoing criminal proceeding for bribery," she said. "It has nothing to do with the [1986 Barzilai case]. What Netanyahu wants now is actually to be above the law."
Civil society leaders and opposition politicians have also expressed strong opposition to granting Netanyahu a pardon, emphasizing that any such move would require an admission of guilt and a commitment to leave politics.
With elections set for next year, Netanyahu's request has sparked intense debate about the limits of presidential power in Israel. The Israeli Supreme Court may ultimately be called upon to resolve the issue, but for now, it remains to be seen how Herzog will respond to this extraordinary request from his prime minister.
In a move that could be precedent-setting and highly contentious, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog to issue him with a pardon in the ongoing corruption trial, arguing that it would be in the "national interest" to do so. The submission was made last Sunday, just weeks after former US President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon for bribery and fraud charges.
Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case, which dates back to 2020 and involves allegations of corruption and favoritism towards wealthy donors in exchange for gifts or positive media coverage. The trial is seen as a major embarrassment for Netanyahu, who has been accused by his critics of prolonging the conflict in Gaza in order to keep his coalition intact.
In his request to Herzog, Netanyahu stated that he believed ending the trial immediately would be beneficial not only for himself but also for the country's unity and stability. However, experts and critics have disputed this claim, arguing that a pardon without an admission of guilt or resignation would undermine the rule of law and set a troubling precedent.
According to Suzie Navot, a constitutional law professor at the Israeli Democracy Institute, Netanyahu's request is problematic because it ignores the principles of accountability and responsibility. "This would be stopping an ongoing criminal proceeding for bribery," she said. "It has nothing to do with the [1986 Barzilai case]. What Netanyahu wants now is actually to be above the law."
Civil society leaders and opposition politicians have also expressed strong opposition to granting Netanyahu a pardon, emphasizing that any such move would require an admission of guilt and a commitment to leave politics.
With elections set for next year, Netanyahu's request has sparked intense debate about the limits of presidential power in Israel. The Israeli Supreme Court may ultimately be called upon to resolve the issue, but for now, it remains to be seen how Herzog will respond to this extraordinary request from his prime minister.
I'm so over politicians trying to use their power to shield themselves from accountability 
. If Netanyahu's all about "national interest" then why isn't he more concerned with healing the country's divisions and promoting unity 
? It feels like a classic case of "save me, save myself" instead of putting Israel first 
. I'm also really annoyed that this could set a precedent for future leaders 
. Can't they see that if we allow politicians to just get away with corruption and abuse of power, the whole system collapses? 
What's next? 
herzog needs to stay strong and not cave in to netanyahus blackmail attempt 
. Can't we just let the system work as it should? 
. It sounds like Netanyahu is trying to get away with some serious corruption stuff and that's not cool at all 
. I mean, if he's denying any wrongdoing then why would a pardon be in the "national interest"? 
. And let's not forget about the fact that elections are coming up - is this all just a distraction from his real issues with Gaza? 
... Who gets to decide what's best for the country? Not just one person, regardless of their position. It's gotta be fair and transparent, not some backroom deal between Netanyahu and Herzog.
... We need to make sure that our leaders are held accountable for their actions, not above them 
.
And what about all those donors who got favors in return? 
That's just shady stuff 
They should stick with the rule of law and not let Netanyahu get away with this 
Presidential power is already a big deal, don't need to make it even more dramatic 
Can't wait for the Israeli Supreme Court to weigh in on this one 
. Is the President supposed to overrule the courts or uphold the law? It's definitely not an easy call, but I think we'll see some interesting developments coming out of this... 
. It's not like Netanyahu hasn't done anything shady before, but maybe this is an opportunity for him to actually make things right? 
We'll have to wait and see how that all shakes out 
oh man cant even believe what's going on here netanyahu is basically asking to get away with corruption charges and it's just insane like what does he think we're gonna do at this point 
maybe then we can finally talk about real issues instead of just covering up corruption cases 
What about the principles of justice and fairness? 
Think about how this could set a precedent for other politicians, and what would be next - pardons left and right? 
- Lord Acton 
This pardon request by Netanyahu sounds like a slippery slope... 
Like what's next? him asking for a pardon for all the times he got caught lying about Iran? or for stealing all that free wifi at that conference in Tel Aviv? Come on, Isaac, don't let him play you like that 
. Newsflash, Bibi: if you're in trouble with the law, maybe it's because of your own actions? Maybe you should take responsibility for them instead of trying to wiggle out of it.
. Both those guys are all about getting ahead no matter what. And it's just so demotivating to see the system being manipulated like this.
. It's time for leaders to lead by example and put the country first, not their own interests.
. It's like he thinks the law doesn't apply to him or somethin'. And what really gets my goat is that he's tryin' to use this as an excuse to distract from the fact that he's facin' corruption charges 
.