Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted a formal request for a presidential pardon to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to a confirmation from the President’s Residence.
The application—an extensive 111-page document prepared by Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Haddad—was delivered to the Legal Department of the President’s Residence alongside a personal letter signed by the prime minister. Herzog’s office also made the full text of the request publicly available.
In its statement, the President’s Residence explained that the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department will now review the application.
“The Pardons Department will gather the opinions of all relevant authorities in the ministry,” the statement said. These recommendations will then be forwarded to the president’s legal adviser for further assessment.
Herzog’s office described the development as “an extraordinary request which carries significant implications,” adding that once all reviews are completed, President Herzog will “responsibly and sincerely consider the request.”
Under Israeli law, the president has constitutional power to pardon individuals already convicted and, in exceptional situations, even those still undergoing legal proceedings—if it is deemed to be in the public interest.
Netanyahu is currently standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust across three separate cases, an ongoing legal battle that began in 2020 and has yet to reach a conclusion. Earlier this month, he publicly insisted that he would not seek a pardon if it required him to admit guilt.
In a parallel development, former U.S. President Donald Trump has written to President Herzog urging him to grant Netanyahu a pardon.
Herzog has not indicated when a final decision will be made.
