Report: Rift opens in Netanyahu’s inner circle over entering Herzog-hosted plea talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is contending with disagreements in his inner circle over whether to enter talks at the President’s Residence over a potential plea deal in his long-running corruption trial, Channel 12 reports.

The report comes after Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara signaled willingness to participate in the negotiations toward a plea bargain in the trial, in which Netanyahu is accused of bribery and fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu has requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog, and Herzog’s legal adviser had invited both sides to the negotiations late last month in an effort to resolve the trial.

According to Channel 12, Netanyahu’s legal team, led by attorney Amit Hadad, supports participating in the talks, arguing it serves his legal interests. They reportedly say that even if Herzog ultimately grants a pardon, he would need to demonstrate in court that all other avenues – including mediation efforts – had been exhausted.

However, the report says Netanyahu’s family, including his wife, Sara, and son, Yair, along with other advisers, oppose attending the talks, viewing them as a waste of time. They believe Herzog is using the discussions to avoid directly addressing the pardon request and to deflect public scrutiny.

The May 3 deadline set by Herzog for moving forward has already passed, and Netanyahu has yet to make a decision.