The Israeli prime minister has taken an unprecedented step by asking the country’s president, Isaac Herzog, a clemency order that exempts him from any responsibility in the corruption trial that . The request comes in the midst of the Gaza war and the peace agreement, when political instability has become an internal risk factor for his government. The letter, sent by his own lawyer, appeals to “national interest” to close a judicial process that, according to Netanyahu, is accentuating the polarization of the country and making it difficult to manage the security crisis.
Netanyahu acknowledges in his message to the president that, although he wishes to continue the process to prove his innocence, he considers that the public interest advises ending the trial. The prime minister assures that the political, military and diplomatic intention required The Gaza issue makes it untenable to maintain a judicial case which, he affirms, has become an instrument of internal confrontation.
Clemency, he defends, would be a gesture to “heal divisions” and “recover trust in institutions”. “Therefore, and despite my personal interest in proving my innocence until my complete acquittal, I believe that the public interest dictates otherwise,” the Israeli prime minister explained in his statement. Once again, he has the president of the United States as an ally, which increased the pressure on Herzog by sending him a letter asking him to directly consider a pardon for the prime minister
An exceptional request in a country with a strong judicial tradition
Netanyahu’s request has activated all the institutional mechanisms provided for these cases. The Israeli Presidency described the request as “extraordinary” and with “significant implications”emphasizing that it will need an exhaustive analysis. According to the procedure, the document sent by lawyer Amit Hadad will be referred to the Pardons Department of the Ministry of Justice, which will compile reports from all the competent authorities. They will then pass to the Presidency’s legal team before Herzog makes a final decision.
Israel rarely grants clemency in government corruption casessomething that reinforces the exceptional nature of Netanyahu’s movement. For its critics, this strategy seeks to avoid an adverse judicial ruling in a process in which it faces accusations of fraud, bribery and abuse of power. For its allies, this is an act of responsibility at a time when the country faces one of its greatest challenges since 1948.
The three cases that have haunted Netanyahu for decades
Netanyahu is involved in three criminal casesapart from the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, known as cases 1000, 2000 and 4000, all related to alleged exchanges of political, media or economic favors. The best known, Case 2000, investigates whether the prime minister tried to agree with the newspaper Yedioth Aharonot for favorable coverage in exchange for supporting a law that would harm his competitor Israel Hayom. According to judicial leaks, those conversations date back to 2000 and reflect an obvious attempt to influence the media to reinforce their public image.
Another cause analyzes alleged luxury gifts offered by businessmen in exchange for political favorswhile the most complex – Case 4000 – investigates alleged regulatory benefits to a telecommunications company in exchange for positive coverage in one of its media. Netanyahu has always maintained that it is all a political operation aimed at ousting him from power.
The judicial process has deeply marked Netanyahu’s return to the Government in 2022 and his subsequent political strategy. Since then, he has requested multiple postponements of his statements, citing health checks, diplomatic meetings or security reasons. The coalition supporting Netanyahu has closed ranks, while the opposition flatly rejects any possibility of clemency.
