Israel is processing the implications of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon on corruption charges, a scandal that has shaped the country’s politics for years.
For Mr Netanyahu’s supporters, a pardon would allow the country to reunite after a period of unprecedented division and allow him to lead effectively at a time of Middle East conflict. For his opponents, any obstruction to his trial would be a dangerous moment for Israel’s judicial system that could pave the way for corruption and a permanent weakening of the law.
Others, sensing the difficulty of the moment, are floating potential compromises. This group includes Naftali Bennett, a possible successor to Mr Netanyahu. Mr Bennett said he would support “a binding agreement that will include [Mr Netanyahu’s] dignified withdrawal from political life”, to end a period in which “Israel has been led to chaos and to the brink of a civil war”.
Mr Netanyahu is charged in three separate criminal cases with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Presidential pardons in Israel tend to be used for defendants already found guilty of charges, whereas Mr Netanyahu's case remains live, with the Prime Minister being asked to give weekly evidence.
The saga has been one of the most divisive issues in recent Israeli politics and has loomed over bitter internal divisions that were widened by the Gaza war and the radical agenda of Mr Netanyahu's far-right coalition.
The office of President Isaac Herzog promised to “sincerely consider” the request, which it described as “extraordinary”. He said the issue “is clearly provoking debate and is deeply unsettling for many people in the country, across different communities”.
"It will be handled in the most correct and precise manner," Mr Herzog added. "I will consider solely the best interests of the State of Israel and Israeli society."
Israel must now wait for the President to take legal advice on the request and then make a decision, in a process experts say could take weeks.
Legal expert Prof Eli Salzberger said if the pardon is granted, there is “full certainty” it will be challenged in the supreme court.
“It’s very difficult to predict what they will decide because the supreme court of today is much more conservative and leaning towards the government’s position than in the past,” he said. “It could also go the other way because the legal grounds of giving a pardon in this context are very slim.”
In the rare cases in which a pardon has been granted before a guilty verdict is reached, the defendant has admitted guilt, asked for forgiveness and resigned. Mr Netanyahu’s request rejects any notion he is guilty and he is not expected to accept any arrangement that ends his political career.
Prof Salzberger believes that accepting the pardon request would “encourage corruption”. He said Mr Netanyahu submitted the request on Sunday because “he feels that within the trial the rope is narrowing around his neck”.
“During the last few weeks during his cross examination, he was really not convincing and it seems that with the lesser charges the judges may have already formed the opinion to convict him," he said.
