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, signaling that no decision will come soon.
Netanyahu's Legal Troubles
Netanyahu's legal troubles, which began with investigations around a decade ago, have polarized Israelis and shaken national politics through five rounds of elections between 2019, the year of his indictment, and 2022. The next ballot is due by the end of October 2026. Netanyahu denies the bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges.
President Herzog's Statement
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 on Sunday that the president was planning to initiate mediation for a plea bargain, putting off any pardon decision for now.
No Precedent for Mid-Trial Pardon
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. Netanyahu submitted a pardon request in November. Under Israeli law, the president has the authority to pardon convicts. But there is no precedent for issuing a pardon mid-trial.
US President Trump's Involvement
US President Donald Trump has called on Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon several times, including in March, during the Iran war, when the trial was put on hold. Netanyahu is due to return to court this week as the trial, which began in 2020, resumes. He is Israel's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime.
An Israeli left-wing activist, disguised as Netanyahu and holding an image of President Trump and the US flag, demonstrated in HaBima Square against the ongoing war with Iran and against the Israeli government, in Tel Aviv on April 25, 2026.
