To get this Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political storm. At the same time, he’s under serious criminal indictment — a backdrop that shifts the dynamics related to his pursuit of a pardon. Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister in the history of Israel to be criminally charged. He has universally refuted the bribery, fraud, and breach of trust claims brought against him in 2019. His supporters assert that the legal proceedings are politically motivated, dismissing the charges as an attempt to undermine his leadership.
Netanyahu is currently under indictment for the alleged acceptance of more than $260,000 worth of high-end gifts from rich benefactors. In exchange, he allegedly delivered political benefits. Together with his wife, Sara, he was indicted on charges that he accepted luxury gifts including cigars, jewelry, and champagne. In addition, he is charged with trying to broker positive press coverage from two Israeli publications in unrelated cases.
On November 30, Netanyahu requested a formal pardon from President Isaac Herzog. Netanyahu has maintained that the nearly daily court hearings are preventing him from governing effectively. He further argued that national clemency would be in the interest of the country by helping to “lower the flames and foster widespread reconciliation.” Should he be convicted, legal experts say that the potential consequences for him include a long-term prohibition on holding public office.
Even former U.S. President Donald Trump recently mused that he would pardon Netanyahu. He underscored this during an address to Israel’s Knesset, in which he disclosed the nature of his conversation with Herzog, explaining that he had shared these assertions.
“He’s a wartime prime minister who’s a hero. How do you not give a pardon?” – Donald Trump
Trump claimed that Herzog told him a pardon was “on its way.”
“I spoke to [Herzog] and he tells me it’s on its way. You can’t do better than that, right?” – Donald Trump
Herzog’s office has refuted Trump’s claims. They reiterated that for those seeking a pardon, you need to go through the outlined steps to enter your application. They further stated the need to respect national sovereignty.
The state of affairs has fueled anger among a significant number of Israelis who believe Trump’s statements are undermining their country’s delicate judicial overhaul process. People in Israel were rightly alarmed at the chilling prospect of foreign intervention into their domestic judicial affairs.
According to Axios, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, the supposed architect of the Trump Administration’s Middle East policy, met with Herzog this past spring. They even talked about whether to cancel Netanyahu’s trial altogether. Legal experts, however, stress that the presidential power to grant pardons comes with efficient wiggle room. They point out that there is no precedent for halting an active trial at the behest of a current chief executive or foreign head of state.
The debate over his legal troubles has raged on as rumors of his plans to issue himself a pardon have started circulating. With his fate hanging in the balance, the Prime Minister is caught between court challenges and political storms.