Figures close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly reached out to President Isaac Herzog to explore holding talks aimed at reaching some sort of plea deal to end his ongoing corruption trial.
According to a report in the Kan public broadcaster, coalition figures are considering restarting talks headed by Herzog rather than waiting for the president to make a decision on Netanyahu’s request for a presidential pardon.
During his meeting with Netanyahu yesterday, US President Donald Trump asserted that Herzog had assured him a pardon was “on its way,” prompting an immediate denial from the Israeli president’s office.
Netanyahu’s attorneys formally submitted a request to Herzog’s office for a full pardon a month ago, without any admission of guilt.
In 2022, Netanyahu turned to former Supreme Court justice Aharon Barak to attempt to mediate plea deal negotiations with the attorney general, which reportedly fell apart over the sticking point of whether a punishment would include a suspension from political life.
Herzog presided over months of negotiations in 2023 aimed at reaching a compromise in the government’s judicial overhaul plans.
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Tuesday, December 30, 2025
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