alleges that “it harms the interests of the State”

“The Office of the President is aware that this It is an extraordinary request that carries important implications. After receiving all relevant opinions, the president will consider the request sincerely and responsibly,” the Israeli presidency said in a statement.

In early November, the US president, Donald Trumpappealed to Herzog in a letter to pardon a Netanyahudefending his role in the management of the country.

Already during his visit in October, the American president asked the Israeli Parliament for amnesty: “Why don’t you grant him a pardon?” he then told the president, “Who cares about some cigars and champagne?”

The letter from Netanyahu’s team of lawyers, released by the Presidency, begins by mentioning Trump’s letter and based on it requests a pardon and the conclusion of criminal proceedings against the prime minister.

The Head of State detailed that the petition has been transferred to the Department of Pardons of the Ministry of Justice, which will collect the opinions of the relevant authorities in this portfolio, in the hands of Yariv Levinfrom Likud (Netanyahu’s party).

These opinions will be sent to Herzog’s legal counsel so that he can formulate his opinion.

“The criminal proceedings in the case of the prime minister harm the interests of the State of Israelexacerbate disputes between different sectors of the population and divert public attention from political and security issues on the national agenda,” the letter from Netanyahu’s team states.

For the “good” of Israel

The president’s lawyers rely on his “management” of the conflicts that Israel has faced in the last two years, such as the offensive in Gaza after the October 7 attacks, the one against Lebanon, the attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, the war in Iran or the growing tensions with Syria.

“It is evident that the Prime Minister has toFrom now on, devote all your strengthenergy, time and intelligence to lead the State of Israel“, they point out.

Netanyahu’s letter states on numerous occasions that his “personal interest” is to continue the trial with the certainty that he will be acquitted. In contrast, he assures that the “good of the state” of Israelunderstood as the public interest, It depends on the conclusion of the trial.

“The Prime Minister is prepared to seek clemency from His Excellency, although in doing so he waives his right to pursue the legal process in his case to the end and this, as has been said, is in the general public interest. The good of the people and the State has always been and always will be before the eyes of the prime minister, and that is how it is now,” it is stated.

Three open cases

Netanyahu is being tried by what is known as ‘case 1,000’accused of having received gifts from the Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan in exchange for political favors; and for him ‘case 2000‘, in which it supposedly benefited the media’s editor-in-chief Yedioth Ahronoth, Arnon “Noni” Mozesin a scandal of fraud and breach of trust to harm the competing newspaper Israel Hayom.

In addition, he is judged for having allegedly incurred – in his second stage as Minister of Communication (2015-2017) – in a bribery crime to businessman Shaul Elovich, who controlled the Bezeq telecommunications company and the Walla News website, to garner favorable media coverage.

The Israeli prime minister, who claims that the trials against him are a “witch hunt” and a “deep state” plot, is the first head of government in Israel’s history to be prosecuted while in office.