Report: Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department not recommending pardon for Netanyahu

The Pardons Department of the Justice Ministry is reportedly not recommending a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, determining that his request for a pardon in his corruption trial falls short of the necessary conditions and requirements.

The reports in Hebrew media come after the Justice Ministry announces this morning that the department has completed its legal position paper on Netanyahu’s request and has passed it to Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who was delegated by Justice Minister Yariv Levin to manage the bureaucratic process involved in sending the position paper to President Isaac Herzog.

The decision on whether to pardon the prime minister rests with Herzog. Levin, and by extension Eliyahu, does not have any formal authority over the pardon process but is entitled to review the position paper before transmitting it to the president’s office.

Netanyahu has been on trial for bribery, and fraud and breach of trust, since 2020. According to a report by Ynet, the Pardons Department determined that it would be difficult to grant Netanyahu a pardon since his trial is ongoing and he has not been convicted yet, and he did not admit guilt or express remorse for his actions in his pardon request.

The High Court of Justice has previously ruled that pardons can in theory be issued before a conviction, but only when the person making the request has admitted to the crimes for which they have asked to be pardoned.

Eliyahu says following receipt of the position paper that the pardons department stated that the pardon request “requires further attention from the president.”

US President Donald Trump has placed heavy pressure on Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon. The president has responded that he will make the decision free of external influence.