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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, the president’s office confirmed on Sunday.
Mr Herzog’s office acknowledged the “extraordinary request, which has significant implications” and said the President would “consider the request responsibly and conscientiously” after receiving all relevant opinions.
There was no immediate comment from the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Netanyahu faces a long-running corruption trial, denying the charges and claiming not guilty.
Netanyahu was convicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He was accused of accepting expensive gifts and exchanging regulatory favors with media owners for positive press coverage.
The trial began in 2020. Netanyahu has denied all the claims against him and has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Netanyahu gave regulatory benefits worth about £430 million to Bezeq Telecom Israel in exchange for positive coverage of himself and his wife on a news website controlled by the company’s former chairman.
Netanyahu was also charged with fraud and breach of trust on allegations that he and his wife wrongly received approximately £170,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer in exchange for personal benefits.
The Prime Minister testified that the gifts were symbols of friendship, and he did not act inappropriately in exchange for them.
The official request comes after Donald Trump wrote a letter urging Herzog to consider pardoning Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month.
We The President said this to Israel’s Isaac Herzog case against prime minister In his view, it was “a political, unfair prosecution”.
Trump said in a letter shared Wednesday that Netanyahu was a “formidable and decisive warfighter.” Prime MinisterWhose attention cannot be “unnecessarily diverted” Comprehensive Regional Peace Process,
Trump said, “While I fully respect the independence of the Israeli justice system and its requirements, I believe this ‘case’ against Bibi, who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against Israel’s toughest rival, Iran, is a political, unfair prosecution.”