JERUSALEM, April 26 (Xinhua) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog wants Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to try to reach a legal settlement in his corruption trial before the president considers granting him a pardon, Herzog’s office said Sunday.
The statement came after The New York Times reported that Herzog does not plan to pardon Netanyahu soon. Instead, he prefers a process in which Netanyahu and state prosecutors try to agree on a plea deal, which could end the court case without a full trial.
A plea deal is an agreement in which a defendant admits to some wrongdoing in exchange for a lighter punishment or reduced charges.
“Herzog sees reaching an agreement between the parties in the cases of Prime Minister Netanyahu as a proper and correct solution,” the president’s office said.
It said Herzog believes both sides should first try to reach such an agreement outside the courtroom before he decides whether to consider Netanyahu’s pardon request.
Netanyahu formally asked Herzog for a pardon in late November last year, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli leader is on trial in three corruption cases involving charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. It is the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister has faced criminal charges while in office.
In one case, prosecutors say Netanyahu helped a major telecommunications businessman by supporting government decisions that benefited his company. In return, they say, Netanyahu received favorable news coverage for himself and his family from a news website owned by the same businessman.
In other cases, prosecutors say Netanyahu accepted expensive gifts, including cigars and champagne worth tens of thousands of dollars, from wealthy businessmen, including Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, in return for help with personal or political matters.
Netanyahu denies all the accusations. He says the cases are politically motivated and part of an effort to remove him from power.
Under Israeli law, the president has the power to grant pardons, but doing so for a sitting prime minister during an ongoing criminal trial would likely cause major political debate.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Herzog to approve Netanyahu’s pardon request, calling the charges a “witch hunt” and publicly criticizing the Israeli president. ■
