Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has submitted an official request for a pardon to President Isaac Herzog, the president’s office said on Sunday.
Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption and has pleaded not guilty. The trial, which began in 2020, is still ongoing, and Netanyahu has long claimed the charges are part of a left-wing plot to remove him from power.
Herzog’s office called the request “extraordinary” and said it carried “significant implications”. It added that the president would consider it “responsibly and sincerely” after reviewing all relevant opinions. There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu’s office.
As part of the background to the case, Herzog’s office confirmed last week that it had received a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump urging him to consider granting Netanyahu a pardon. Trump has repeatedly voiced support for Netanyahu, calling the charges a “political, unjustified prosecution”.
Herzog’s office said that any pardon must follow formal procedures. Trump also urged Herzog to issue a pardon during a visit to Israel in October, when he addressed parliament in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in three cases, including allegations of receiving nearly 700,000 shekels ($211,832) in gifts from businessmen. Although the president’s role is mainly ceremonial, Herzog has the authority to grant pardons in unusual circumstances.
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Tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border are intensifying as Israeli strikes push deeper into the Bekaa Valley, fuelling fears of wider escalation despite a fragile U.S.- and UN-brokered ceasefire.
The U.S. Navy has forcibly intercepted and boarded the Iranian cargo ship TOUSKA in the Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach the ongoing naval blockade. President Trump confirmed that the vessel was neutralised and seized by Marines following a direct strike on its engine room.
Israel has reprimanded Spain’s most senior diplomat in Tel Aviv after a giant effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up in a Spanish town.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
The United Arab Emirate said it was dealing with missile and drone attacks from Iran for the second day in a row on Tuesday (5 May), despite denials from authorities in Tehran who threatened a "crushing response" if the UAE retaliated.
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All remaining passengers aboard a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak are asymptomatic, Spain’s Health Minister Mónica García said on Wednesday.
The Australian government will spend billions to boost national fuel stockpiles and create a permanent, state-owned strategic reserve, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced.
ITA Airways is preparing to raise ticket prices by between 5% and 10% this year as soaring fuel costs linked to the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the U.S. continue to pressure airlines worldwide.
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating a ceasefire proposed by Kyiv that came into effect at midnight on 6 May, reporting continued strikes that left at least one person dead and several others injured across frontline regions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to discuss Cuba and global religious freedom with Pope Leo during a visit to the Vatican on Thursday (7 May), following recent criticism from President Donald Trump over the pope’s comments on the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
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