President Isaac Herzog said on Thursday that the potential for clemency for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid his ongoing corruption trial is "not currently on the table."
Addressing questions at the Makor Rishon conference, Herzog said that "no such request has been made." “I believe in respecting the rule of law; no one is above it," he added. "There are certain rules I won’t elaborate on. I will always act according to my conscience and basic principles. The process involves many parties, and right now, there is an ongoing trial. It was not a happy day to see the prime minister in court. No one should take joy in this."
On Wednesday, Netanyahu completed the second day of his testimony in the Tel Aviv District Court as part of the ongoing “Case 4000” trial, known as the Bezeq-Walla affair. The defense focused on countering allegations that Netanyahu received favorable coverage from the Walla news site, owned by co-defendant Shaul Elovitch, in exchange for regulatory benefits. Netanyahu denied requesting coverage from Elovitch and claimed he was unaware of requests allegedly made by his wife, Sara.
Netanyahu is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, with prosecutors alleging he granted regulatory favors to Elovitch in exchange for favorable media coverage. The indictment includes a document listing 315 requests for coverage directed to Walla by Netanyahu’s associates. Prosecutors consider the preferential coverage as a bribe and cite breach of trust to establish a conflict of interest between Netanyahu and Elovitch.
The trial will resume next week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with proceedings scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the first day of testimony earlier this week, Netanyahu paused for a brief recess after receiving notes in sealed envelopes from a National Security Council representative. The judges granted his request for the break.
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Separately, retired judge Asher Kula, formerly the deputy president of the Nazareth District Court, said in a radio interview that a plea deal should have been reached in Netanyahu’s case. “There’s still an opportunity to do so,” Kula remarked. “This country needs governance, and it is not good for the state to have a prime minister accused of crimes with a trial lasting 6-8 years.”
What is a clemency request and how is it filed?
A clemency request seeks to ease the consequences of a criminal conviction, often aiming to reduce a sentence, alter components of a verdict, or occasionally annul a part of it.
Netanyahu arrives in court, Wednesday
(Video: Ido Erez/Contact)
Lt. Col. (res.) Ran Cohen-Rochberger, an attorney specializing in military and security law and a former chief military defense attorney, explained: “The president’s initiative is particularly relevant for expunging criminal records. While a secondary outcome of a conviction, a criminal record is effectively a punishment in itself, often with harsher repercussions than the sentence itself. It can restrict employment opportunities and continue to harm an individual’s reputation.”
He noted that entities with access to criminal records before they expire include the Israel Police, Military Police, licensing authorities, the Civil Service Commissioner, the Education Ministry, public security regulators and others.
What are common grounds for clemency requests?
“In general, clemency is granted only in exceptional cases where unique and extraordinary circumstances justify reducing or altering a sentence. Requests can only be submitted after all legal proceedings in the case have been exhausted," Attorney Limor Goldenberg-Haddad, head of the Justice Ministry’s clemency department, said.
Cohen-Rochberger added: “Each case is unique, but typically requests focus on the applicant’s rehabilitation process, life circumstances surrounding the offense, current challenging conditions, or specific needs like a pending job offer, a requirement for a license or eligibility for security-related work. The request must convey that the offense is firmly in the applicant’s past and will not be repeated.”
Can a clemency request be filed without a lawyer?
There is no requirement to file through an attorney. Applicants themselves are not obligated to write the request, which can also be submitted by immediate family members.