Israeli President Isaac Herzog confirmed today, Monday, that he will address “in the most correct and accurate way” the request for amnesty submitted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the face of the corruption cases for which he is being tried, and stressed that he “will only take into account the interests of the country” when making a decision in this regard.
The president said in a statement published less than a day after the Israeli Prime Minister announced his decision: “It is clear that the issue of Netanyahu’s request for pardon is controversial and raises deep concern for many people in the country, in different communities.”
He concluded: “I have already made it clear that (Netanyahu’s request) will be dealt with in the correct and precise manner. I will only take into account the interests of the State of Israel and Israeli society.”
Netanyahu formally asked Herzog on Sunday to issue a pardon and permanently absolve him, in the “national interest,” of any responsibility in the alleged corruption cases in which he is being tried, for which the Israeli Prime Minister has so far denied any responsibility.
Thus, he emphasized in his letter that despite his personal interest in “successfully concluding the judicial process” and achieving his “full acquittal,” he believed that “the public interest dictates otherwise.” He said, “I have no doubt that the conclusion of the trial will help ease the tension in the controversy surrounding it.”
The Prime Minister is accused of a series of crimes in three cases, including fraud or accepting bribes, although he denounced all of this as part of political persecution. In fact, he was able to return to power for a sixth term with operations already open, at the end of 2022.