Netanyahu requests pardon from Israeli president, after Trump letter urging clemency

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked President Isaac Herzog for a pardon as he stands trial on corruption and fraud charges — weeks after PresidentDonald Trumpsent his own letter urging clemency.

Netanyahuemphasized concern over public division in his request.While explicitly not admitting guilt, he wrote the pardon would allow him to “reconcile the national rift” and “lower the flames” in the arguments surrounding his trial.

Herzog’s office released a statement Sunday saying it has received Netanyahu’s formal pardon request, calling it “extraordinary” and acknowledging that it carries “significant implications.”

The request, in accordance with guidelines and procedures, was being transferred to the Pardons Department in the Ministry of Justice, which will gather opinions from relevant authorities on the matter, the president’s office said.

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TRUMP MAKES FORMAL REQUEST TO ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO PARDON NETANYAHU

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the plenum of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, Nov.10, 2025.(Reuters/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo)

The opinions will then be sent to the legal advisor in the Office of the President, who will formulate an additional opinion for Herzog.

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“After receiving all of the relevant opinions, the President will responsibly and sincerely consider the request,” Herzog’s office said in the statement.

President Isaac Herzog is welcomed with a full military guard of honor upon his arrival, marking the first state visit by an Israeli head of state, at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, Zambia, Oct.10, 2025.(Reuters/Moses Mwape)

Netanyahu is currently standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases.The trial, which began in 2020, marked the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister testified as a criminal defendant.

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Earlier this month, Trump urged Herzog to consider fully pardoning Netanyahu in a letter.Trump wrote that Netanyahu has been a “formidable and decisive” leader for Israel in a time of war and has led Israel “into a time of peace.”

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President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C.(Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

Trump wrote that while he “absolutely” respects the independence of the Israeli judicial system, he believes the case against Netanyahu is a “political, unjustified prosecution.”

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Trump had previously urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during a speech in the Israeli Knesset in October.

� Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report.