JERUSALEM: Israel’s president said on Sunday that he will consider Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request in his long-running corruption trial only after efforts to reach a plea deal are exhausted, signalling no decision will come soon.
Netanyahu’s legal troubles, which began with investigations around a decade ago, have polarised Israelis and shaken national politics through five rounds of elections between 2019, the year of his indictment, to 2022. The next ballot is due by the end of October 2026.
Netanyahu denies the bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges. President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday that a deal would be the best solution in Netanyahu’s case.
“The president therefore believes that before addressing the pardon request itself, efforts should first be exhausted to reach an agreement between the parties, outside the courtroom,” Herzog said in a statement.
Herzog’s office published it after a report by the New York Times said on Sunday that the president was planning to initiate mediation for a plea bargain, putting off any pardon decision for now.
A spokesperson for Herzog declined to comment beyond the statement when asked whether any plea deal bid was underway. Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
