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Knesset Speaker Urges President to Pardon Netanyahu Amid Testimony Controversy
By Drooid · · How we work
Ohana’s Appeal for a Pardon
On Sunday, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog urging the grant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request. He argued that the revelations should compel Herzog to act, describing the decision as “just, courageous and appropriate.” Ohana also alleged that the Pardons Department and the Attorney General’s Office were seeking to end Netanyahu’s political career, suggesting a bias in the handling of the request.
Legal Context of Clemency in Israel
Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in November 2025, more than five years after his trial began in 2020 and while the proceedings remain ongoing. The President’s Office notes that clemency requests are normally considered only after legal proceedings have concluded. Although the Supreme Court has upheld the president’s authority to grant a pardon before indictment in rare cases, granting a pardon while a trial is active is described as unprecedented. Israeli law permits any individual to submit a clemency request, but the president alone can grant it; a Knesset speaker’s letter carries no legal weight beyond political persuasion.
Statements from Key Actors
- President’s Office – Stated that clemency is generally reviewed after the conclusion of legal proceedings and highlighted the rarity of pre-verdict pardons.
- Supreme Court – Previously affirmed the president’s power to issue pardons before indictment in limited circumstances, underscoring the exceptional nature of Netanyahu’s request.
Timeline
- December 10, 2024 – Netanyahu and Ohana appeared together in the Jerusalem District Court before Netanyahu’s testimony began.
- November 2025 – Netanyahu formally submitted his pardon request to the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, which forwarded it to President Herzog.
- Sunday (date not specified in ledger) – Ohana sent his urging letter to Herzog following Mandelblit’s testimony.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I was shocked to learn from the former attorney-general’s testimony that even the remaining charges - after the panel of judges twice suggested that prosecutors withdraw the bribery charge, thus indicating, in their view, that no such bribery ever took place - are based on unlawful investigative actions conducted without his knowledge or approval,” — Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, himself a lawyer
- “This conduct, which exposes a series of omissions, failures and violations of the law, cannot end merely with dramatic reports across the media. It must also lead you to reach a decision on the prime minister’s pardon request.” — Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, himself a lawyer