Israeli PM Netanyahu’s inner circle holds talks with prosecutors over possible plea deal and presidential pardon

Sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu support launching talks between the prosecution and Netanyahu’s attorneys under the auspices of President Isaac Herzog, in an effort to formulate an improved plea bargain, Kan News reported on Tuesday evening.

Following remarks last night by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said he had spoken with Herzog and that “the pardon is on the way,” coalition officials are considering approaching the president again, requesting that he engage the parties in Netanyahu’s trial, rather than waiting for the pardon request process to drag on.

Netanyahu’s pardon request is currently awaiting the State Attorney’s opinion, which has been requested but has not yet been submitted to the Pardons Department at the Justice Ministry. The assessment is that the State Attorney’s Office will argue that the pardon request should not be accepted as submitted, given that it does not include any admission of guilt by the prime minister.

It was also reported this evening that Herzog sent a graphic explaining the pardon process, translated into English, to Trump's associates to clarify that the move is still bureaucratically complex.

Herzog is also in close contact with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to whom he conveyed the message that the matter is not yet on the president’s desk.

Approximately three weeks ago, Netanyahu announced he would not retire from political life in exchange for a pardon. Kan News reported at the time that this was not expected to change Herzog’s handling of the request.

The pardon request was submitted to the president at the end of last month. It did not include an admission of guilt or an expression of remorse for the acts for which Netanyahu is charged in his trial. Herzog’s office said at the time that “the president’s decision is expected within several weeks.”

In his first statement after submitting the pardon request, Netanyahu addressed the impact of his trial on public sentiment as well as the security situation.

“My personal interest was and remains to continue the process to its end, until my full acquittal of all charges. But the security and diplomatic reality – the national interest – require otherwise. The State of Israel faces immense challenges.”