Netanyahu submits pardon request in Israel corruption cases

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is standing trial on multiple corruption charges, announced Sunday that he has submitted a formal pardon request, saying the prolonged legal battles are dividing the nation.

The move comes after US President Donald Trump wrote to Israeli President Isaac Herzog earlier this month, urging him to pardon Netanyahu. The Israeli premier has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the ongoing cases.

In a video message, Netanyahu said the trial, now nearing its sixth year with no end in sight, could continue for many more years. He insisted he had intended to fight the charges until full acquittal but said the country’s security and political situation made that untenable.

“The State of Israel is facing enormous challenges,” Netanyahu said. “The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, deepening divisions and intensifying rifts.”

Netanyahu’s cases have long been a flashpoint in Israeli politics, exposing sharp divides between his supporters and critics. His backers dismiss the charges as politically motivated.

The prime minister and his wife Sara are accused in one case of accepting more than $260,000 in luxury gifts from wealthy benefactors in exchange for political favours. In two additional cases, Netanyahu is accused of seeking favourable media coverage from major Israeli outlets.

Netanyahu said the court’s demand that he testify three times a week had “tipped the scales,” calling the requirement unrealistic.

“I am certain, like many others in the nation, that ending the trial immediately will help lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation our country desperately needs,” he said.

President Herzog’s office confirmed receipt of the pardon request, calling it “extraordinary” and saying it carries significant implications. It added that the president will consider the request carefully after reviewing all relevant opinions.

Netanyahu, 76, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, with more than 18 years in office across three separate terms since 1996. His current term, which began in late 2022, has been marked by a controversial judicial overhaul that critics said aimed to weaken the judiciary — sparking mass protests that only subsided after the Gaza war began in October 2023.

Despite the legal turmoil, the Likud leader has said he intends to run in the next elections, scheduled before the end of 2026.