TL;DR
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a pardon amidst an ongoing trial, asserting that it undermines national interest and his governance, while claiming the investigation is driven by malicious intent.
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The request has backing from American President Donald Trump, complicating the decision for Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who must navigate the political implications amidst a looming election.
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Critics question the implications of pardoning an individual who has not been convicted, raising concerns about accountability within the justice system.
Netanyahu submits request to Israeli president to pardon him | World News
How can you pardon someone who has not been convicted?
This is a truly unprecedented situation – an Israeli prime minister, in the midst of a trial that has already been going on for years, requesting a pardon even though he hasn’t been convicted.
And he is is doing so with the backing of the American president, whose goodwill – by contrast to growing international condemnation – now sits at the heart of Israeli government policy.
Benjamin Netanyahu insists that he will be exonerated, even if the trial does come to a conclusion. His argument, framed across 111 pages, is that the trial is such a distraction that it is damaging the national interest and affecting his ability to govern.
He also claims that the investigation was fuelled by the malicious intent to incriminate him “at all costs”, despite his decades of public service.
But there will be others who argue the absolute reverse – that the whole structure of justice depends on holding people to account, however powerful they may be.
How, the question will be asked, can you pardon someone who has not been convicted? What sort of a precedent would this set?
We know Donald Trump wants Netanyahu pardoned, and has said so publicly, which leaves President Isaac Herzog in an incredibly difficult spot.
He will want to show his independence, and certainly his advisors are not necessarily Netanyahu supporters. As the president, he is expected to rise above the fray of party politics and make his own decision.
But will he really want to go against Trump – the will of the most powerful man in the world, who has offered such crucial diplomatic support to Israel since returning to office?
And with a general election scheduled for less than a year’s time, how quickly will he come to his conclusion?