Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a long-running corruption trial, has submitted an official request to the country’s president to pardon him.
In a video statement, Mr Netanyahu, who is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to stand trial, said the case had divided the country and a pardon would help restore national unity.
He also said the requirement to appear in court three times a week is a distraction that makes it difficult for him to lead the country.
President Isaac Herzog’s office said it was “an extraordinary request” which carries “significant implications”.
The president will “responsibly and sincerely consider the request” after consulting with “relevant authorities” in the justice ministry and legal departments, his office said.
It comes after Donald Trump sent a letter to Mr Herzog urging him to “fully pardon” Mr Netanyahu earlier this month.
The US president told Mr Herzog his prime minister had “stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries” and Mr Netanyahu’s “attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted”.
Mr Netanyahu’s trial, which began in 2020, has not yet concluded. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include bribery and fraud.
He was indicted in 2019 in three cases, including allegations of receiving nearly 700,000 shekels (£166,500) in gifts from business representatives.
How can you pardon someone who has not been convicted?
This is a truly unprecedented situation – an Israeli prime minister, in the midst of a trial that has already been going on for years, requesting a pardon even though he hasn’t been convicted.
And he is is doing so with the backing of the American president, whose goodwill – by contrast to growing international condemnation – now sits at the heart of Israeli government policy.
Benjamin Netanyahu insists that he will be exonerated, even if the trial does come to a conclusion. His argument, framed across 111 pages, is that the trial is such a distraction that it is damaging the national interest and affecting his ability to govern.
He also claims that the investigation was fuelled by the malicious intent to incriminate him “at all costs”, despite his decades of public service.
But there will be others who argue the absolute reverse – that the whole structure of justice depends on holding people to account, however powerful they may be.
How, the question will be asked, can you pardon someone who has not been convicted? What sort of a precedent would this set?
We know Donald Trump wants Netanyahu pardoned, and has said so publicly, which leaves President Isaac Herzog in an incredibly difficult spot.
He will want to show his independence, and certainly his advisors are not necessarily Netanyahu supporters. As the president, he is expected to rise above the fray of party politics and make his own decision.
But will he really want to go against Trump – the will of the most powerful man in the world, who has offered such crucial diplomatic support to Israel since returning to office?
And with a general election scheduled for less than a year’s time, how quickly will he come to his conclusion?
The prime minister’s request consists of two documents, the president’s office said – a letter signed by Mr Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, as well as a letter signed by Mr Netanyahu himself.
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This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been modified or edited by Doonited
