by Lazar Berman and Sam Sokol at The Times of Israel
Herzog says he’ll weigh ‘extraordinary request’ based on expert opinions; allies hail move; opposition slams attempt to evade responsibility; Lapid: He needs to express remorse, quit public life
Six years after he was indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, seeking an end to his long-running and unprecedented corruption trial.
Netanyahu did not admit guilt and, in a video statement, continued to contest the charges against him and the legitimacy of the process by which he was indicted. He also did not indicate any readiness to step down as prime minister, arguing that, if he were pardoned, he would be free to more effectively advance Israel’s interests.
He further argued that the trial was tearing Israel apart and that its immediate conclusion “would greatly help lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation.”
The formal documents, released in full by Herzog’s office, include an 111-page request from Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad and a letter signed by Netanyahu. According to Herzog’s office, Hadad submitted the request to the President’s Residence Legal Department.
The request marks a new phase in Netanyahu’s legal battle,..
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