What you need to know about Netanyahu’s request for pardon in corruption trial

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the president for a pardon during his trial on corruption charges that have long divided the country. The demand sparked outrage Sunday from opposition politicians and government watchdogs, but some Israelis expressed support and indicated it was time to move on.

The president’s office called the request “extraordinary” and had “significant implications.” At stake is the reputation of the Israeli justice system as well as Netanyahu’s hold on power.

Here’s what you need to know.

The accusations

Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to face trial. He is accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases, accusing him of trading favors with wealthy political supporters, including a telecommunications company, a Hollywood producer and a newspaper publisher.

The Justice Department announced indictments in all three cases in 2019, after years of investigation, and the trial began in May 2020.

Netanyahu rejects these allegations and describes the affair as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media, the police and the judiciary.

He wasn’t found guilty of anything. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for his testimony to be postponed, citing diplomatic commitments or security concerns related to Israel’s wars over the past two years with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

Previous delays in the trial were partly caused by years of political crisis that have stalled Israel, with Netanyahu returning to power in late 2022.

The delays have angered many Israelis, including some relatives of hostages long held in Gaza, who have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war with Hamas as part of his efforts to stay in power.

Netanyahu’s argument

The prime minister presented himself during the trial as the victim of a “deep state” conspiracy aimed at ousting him.

He said his request for clemency would help unify Israel at a time of momentous change in the Middle East, and asserted that an “immediate conclusion to the trial would go a long way toward dousing the flames and promoting the broad reconciliation our country so desperately needs.”

Some government ministers, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, expressed support for his request.

Just weeks ago, US President Donald Trump publicly urged Israel to pardon Netanyahu, turning to President Isaac Herzog during his speech to the Israeli parliament last month. Earlier this month, Trump also sent a letter to Herzog calling the corruption case an “unwarranted political prosecution.”

Netanyahu mentioned Trump’s request in his statement on Sunday.

Herzog is a former political rival of Netanyahu, but the men have a good working relationship. Herzog has said in the past that he believes the best way to end this legal chapter would be to reach an agreement between prosecutors and Netanyahu’s lawyers.

Many Israelis are sensitive to issues involving Netanyahu and the law. Shortly after forming his current government at the end of 2022, the Prime Minister launched a plan to overhaul the judicial system. This sparked huge anti-government protests, with his opponents accusing him of trying to weaken the system of checks and balances and of having a conflict of interest as he stood trial.

The plan was revived earlier this year after being suspended following the outbreak of the Gaza war.

The criticism

Opponents of the pardon request said it could weaken democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that some people in Israel are above the law.

“He’s basically saying, ‘I’m completely innocent, I’m sure I can prove that innocence, but not for my own sake, for the sake of the country, I’m asking for this pardon,’” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute. “So there is no assumption of accountability, which could send a problematic message to all public figures and what our public standards might look like.” »

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu could not receive a pardon “without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate withdrawal from political life.”

Legal experts said the clemency request cannot stop the trial. The only way to stop it is to ask the attorney general to suspend the prosecution, said Emi Palmor, former director general of the Justice Department.

What’s next

The request for pardon will be sent to the Ministry of Justice for opinion, then transferred to the legal advisor of the Presidency of the Republic, who will formulate additional opinions.

Experts have said the president has broad discretion to grant one and oversight is limited.

However, “as a rule, the president considers a pardon request only after all legal proceedings have been completed. The possibility of a pre-conviction pardon… is extremely rare,” the Israel Democracy Institute wrote earlier this month. “A pre-conviction pardon, while legal proceedings are ongoing, threatens the rule of law and seriously undermines the principle of equality before the law. »

The associated press