Herzog may offer Netanyahu a plea deal or a conditional pardon, reports say; president dismisses reports, says he’s first seeking legal opinion

President Isaac Herzog may present Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a proposal for a plea deal or a conditional bargain that will end his ongoing corruption trial, Hebrew-language media reports, after receiving the premier’s request for a pardon earlier today.

Rather than accepting or rejecting Netanyahu’s request outright, Channel 12 reports that Herzog is leaning toward responding with, “Yes, but–” and offering the premier a conditional deal — potentially involving acknowledgments of wrongdoing, limitations on Netanyahu’s future political activity, or other terms.

The shift comes during what sources describe as a recent softening in Herzog’s stance toward the idea of ending the long-running corruption trial through an agreed framework.

The report notes that it is difficult to enforce retirement from politics when it is part of a plea deal, as was proven in recent years when Shas leader Aryeh Deri took a deal in 2021 that required him to admit to tax offenses and pledge his resignation from the Knesset.

After the High Court of Justice later ruled that Deri could not hold a position in Netanyahu’s cabinet due to giving the impression to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court in the plea bargain that he was permanently stepping down from public life, the Shas leader claimed that he had never done so.

To avoid a similar problem in the future, Channel 12 says Herzog may consider issuing a conditional pardon, or one that is invalidated should the premier breach its terms.

Similarly, the Kan public broadcaster reports that even as Herzog examines Netanyahu’s request, he will also be working to revive negotiations for a plea deal.

Any such deal would require the prime minister to plead guilty, which he did not indicate he was willing to do in his request to Herzog.

Kan also quotes unnamed people close to Herzog saying Netanyahu will not get a pardon without paying a “significant” price.

It is expected to take several weeks for Herzog to submit his response to Netanyahu on the matter.

A statement published by the Office of the President denies the reports, saying that Herzog has not yet discussed the issue. It says Herzog is first seeking a legal opinion on the request, apparently from the Justice Ministry, though the statement does not specify.