Netanyahu Trial

Herzog's stance on Netanyahu's pardon raises possibility of compromise if election ends in deadlock

The president says his considerations on Netanyahu’s pardon request are "solely substantive," as unity government and rotation scenarios resurface amid coalition uncertainty.

President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak at an event at the President's residence in Jerusalem, May 1, 2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, visit a restaurant in the northern Israeli city of Safed, September 9, 2026.

Netanyahu defense asks court to summon former A-G Avichai Mandelblit to testify before election

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu arrives for a court hearing in his trial, at the District Court in Jerusalem on June 29, 2026.

Netanyahu lawyer likens trial to Eichmann's as judges reiterate Case 4000 bribery concerns

HAREDI MEN protest against the jailing of yeshiva students who failed to comply with an IDF draft order, in May 2026.

Haredi protests and Netanyahu trial cause tension in Israel


My Word: Trials and errors, and granting pardons - opinion

Isaac Herzog has to contend with a tremendous dilemma regarding the pardon request. Like the trial itself, no result is going to be fully accepted and certainly not unifying.

WITH PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu at his side at Ben-Gurion Airport, US President Donald Trump concludes his trip to Israel in October.

Pardoning Netanyahu would weaken Israel, empower Trump's interference - opinion

AS Trump's poodle, a pardoned Netanyahu would be less free to speak up when he feels America’s actions go against Israel’s interests.

PRESIDENT ISAAC Herzog and US President Donald Trump in the Knesset in October: Granting Netanyahu a pardon and dropping all criminal charges against him would dangerously embolden Trump and weaken Herzog, the writer argues.

Netanyahu trial: Hearing opens in Tel Aviv after Tuesday session canceled

Benjamin Netanyahu's trial returns to Case 4000, in which the PM is accused of advancing regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of shekels to Shaul Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 40 signatures debate, at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on November 10, 2025.

Will Netanyahu 'heal the nation' if he receives pardon from Herzog? - opinion

Israel deserves a legitimate October 7 inquiry and new elections, amid dramatic efforts to make amends and heal wounds.

PRESIDENT ISAAC HERZOG and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend the dedication of a new rehab center at Hadassah Hospital-Mount Scopus in October. Pardon Netanyahu if he takes substantive steps to unite the nation, says the writer.

Netanyahu's pardon request throws Herzog into thick of Israel’s political divides - opinion

Seeking a pardon before a verdict – particularly when the defendant is the prime minister – creates an extraordinary situation that could destabilize the relations between the branches of government.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Tel Aviv District Court. The pardon mechanism was never intended to serve as an alternative to a criminal trial, states the writer.

Pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, but only if he agrees to step aside - opinion

It would be in Israel’s best interests to grant the request on the condition that Netanyahu agrees to finish out his present term and retire from politics. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara cast their vote during the elections for the Likud Central Committee, at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, November 25, 2025

Netanyahu pardon decision will be made for 'good of Israel,' Isaac Herzog vows

“It is clear to me that the issue of the pardon is shaking many people in the country; it will be handled in the best possible way," Herzog stated

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog over a backdrop of Netanyahu's presidential pardon request.

Netanyahu trial: Case 4000 questioning resumes despite bombshell pardon request

Prosecutor Tirosh focused questioning on Case 4000 discrepancies, comparing Netanyahu's description of Walla news site during his tenure vs. his current court testimony.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a Christian Conference in Jerusalem, on April 27, 2025

Netanyahu's pardon request a 'direct attempt to bypass courts,' scholars warn

Legal experts argue that using presidential clemency before a verdict would overturn long-standing norms that reserve pardons for those who have accepted responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the courtroom at the Distrcit court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the trial against him, October 28, 2025.

Pardoning Netanyahu is an imperfect - but necessary - end to the PM's long legal saga - comment

Netanyahu’s request for a pardon forces Israel to confront a decade of legal battles and the question of whether extending the trial is in the public's best interest.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Knesset, November 10, 2025.