Netanyahu Petitions for Parson Amid High-Profile Corruption Trials

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a presidential pardon to bring an immediate end to his long-running corruption trial, a historic and polarized legal battle that the premier claims is fracturing the nation's social fabric. In a dramatic video statement released on Sunday, Netanyahu argued that the ongoing legal proceedings are "tearing us apart," asserting that halting the trial is essential for national reconciliation.

The move, characterized by the Israeli President's office as an "extraordinary request" with "significant implications," has ignited a fierce debate over the rule of law, drawing sharp rebukes from the opposition and highlighting the intervention of international allies in Israel’s domestic judicial affairs.

According to reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Prime Minister’s appeal is rooted in the belief that the court cases have become a primary engine of internal discord.

"The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, arousing fierce divisions, intensifying rifts," Netanyahu declared in his video address, referencing the deep schism that has emerged between his staunch supporters and his vocal opponents.

He framed the request not merely as a personal legal strategy, but as a necessary step for the collective good of the state.

"I am certain, like many others in the nation, that an immediate end to the trial will greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation that our country so desperately needs," he added.

The Associated Press (AP) reports that the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed on Sunday that the request had been submitted directly to the legal department of the Office of the President.

The application comprises two distinct documents: a detailed letter signed by Netanyahu’s legal counsel and a personal letter signed by the Prime Minister himself.

These documents are set to undergo a rigorous bureaucratic process; they will first be sent to the Justice Ministry for professional opinions before being transferred to the Legal Advisor in the Office of the President, who will then formulate additional recommendations for President Isaac Herzog.

Netanyahu’s legal predicament is unprecedented in the annals of Israeli history; he is the only sitting prime minister to stand trial. He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes across three separate cases, which accuse him of exchanging regulatory and political favors with wealthy supporters in return for positive media coverage and lavish gifts.

Throughout the proceedings, Netanyahu has steadfastly maintained his innocence, rejecting the allegations in their entirety and condemning the investigation as a "witch hunt" orchestrated by a coalition of the media, police, and judiciary to remove him from power.

The timing of the pardon request is particularly notable, coming on the heels of significant diplomatic pressure from the United States.

The AP highlights that the submission follows a public urging by U.S. President Donald Trump for Israel to pardon Netanyahu. 

Earlier this month, President Trump reportedly sent a direct letter to President Isaac Herzog, in which he characterized the corruption case as a "political, unjustified prosecution." This external support appears to have bolstered Netanyahu’s argument that the trial is a distraction from his duties as a statesman, particularly as the region undergoes momentous changes.

In his statement, Netanyahu emphasized that the requirement to appear in court three times a week serves as a significant distraction, hindering his ability to lead the country effectively during a period marked by wars and unrest stemming from the Hamas-led attacks of October 2023.

However, the plea for a pardon has triggered an immediate and furious backlash from the political opposition, who view the move as a direct assault on Israel’s democratic institutions. Opponents argue that granting such a request would send a dangerous message that the Prime Minister is above the rule of law.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a stinging rejection of the proposal, asserting that a pardon cannot be a tool for evading accountability.

"You cannot grant him a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse and an immediate retirement from political life," Lapid stated, drawing a hard line in the sand regarding the conditions for any potential clemency.

Legal experts have also cast doubt on the feasibility of Netanyahu’s strategy. Emi Palmor, the former director general of the Justice Ministry, told the AP that the request is legally incoherent under the current circumstances.

"It’s impossible," Palmor said. "You cannot claim that you’re innocent while the trial is going on and come to the president and ask him to intervene."

She clarified that the pardon mechanism is typically reserved for those who have been convicted, noting that the only procedural avenue to stop an ongoing trial is for the Attorney General to withhold the proceedings, rather than through presidential intervention.

As the documents make their way through the Justice Ministry, the nation remains bitterly divided. While Netanyahu’s supporters see a leader persecuted by a biased legal system, his detractors see a man willing to dismantle the judiciary to save himself.

With the President's office acknowledging the weight of this "extraordinary request," the coming days will likely see the intensifying rifts that Netanyahu warned of deepen further, as Israel grapples with the tension between political stability and judicial accountability.