Lead

Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has submitted his opinion on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, the President's Residence confirmed, marking the latest step in an ongoing clemency process that remains active and moving forward. The submission, which included the Justice Ministry's pardons department legal assessment and accompanying materials, advances a request that is unprecedented in Israeli history due to its timing.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from two outlets covering the story provide consistent accounts of the key developments. Both sources confirm that Eliyahu's submission took place and that the file has now moved to the President's Residence's internal legal review process. They also agree on the broader context: the request remains active and continues through the formal clemency framework.

The sources diverge slightly in emphasis. One report focuses on the procedural advancement, highlighting the transfer of additional materials from the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department on Wednesday, which came after further questions and supplementary requests were raised during the review. The other report emphasizes the submission itself and the confirmation that the request remains active.

Neither source suggests a decision is imminent. The announcement from the Pardons Department was described as brief and did not indicate whether a decision is near.

Key Claims

  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pardon request is still active and moving through Israel's formal clemency process, according to multiple reports.
  • The Justice Ministry's Pardons Department has transferred additional materials concerning the request after supplementary information was sought during the review, as reported by a single outlet.
  • The application is exceptional because it was submitted while Netanyahu's criminal trial was still underway, a fact noted in multiple reports and described as an extraordinary step.
  • The president holds the formal authority to grant a pardon, but the request does not go directly from the applicant to the president, as explained by one source.
  • US President Donald Trump has repeatedly and publicly urged that Netanyahu be pardoned, a claim carried by a single outlet.
  • Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu submitted his opinion to President Isaac Herzog, according to one report.
  • The President's Residence said the file would now move to its internal legal review process, as reported by one source.
  • Eliyahu took over the handling of the pardon request from Justice Minister Yariv Levin, according to one report.
The Justice Ministry's Pardons Department announced on Wednesday that it had transferred additional materials concerning the request, following earlier reporting that more information had been sought on several issues tied to the file. The clearest confirmed fact, as noted by one source, is that the requested supplementary material was delivered.

Perspectives

The pardon request's unusual nature stems from its timing. Netanyahu submitted the request in late November 2025 while his criminal trial was still underway, an extraordinary step in a system where pardons are more commonly associated with convictions, sentences, or clearly defined humanitarian or public-interest circumstances, according to reports.

Under Israel's clemency framework, the president is the formal authority empowered to grant a pardon, but the process is not direct. The request must pass through institutional reviews before reaching the president's desk. In this case, the file has moved from the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department through Heritage Minister Eliyahu's office to the President's Residence, which will now conduct its own internal legal review.

President Isaac Herzog reportedly thanked Eliyahu and the Justice Ministry pardons department for what the President's Residence described as thorough and comprehensive work carried out in line with relevant instructions.

Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases, facing one bribery charge alongside charges of fraud and breach of trust, all of which he denies. The ongoing trial adds another layer of complexity to the clemency process.

The President's Residence's acknowledgment that the file has moved to its internal legal review indicates the process will continue, though no timeline has been provided for a decision. As one report noted, the development may be less important for what it decides than for what it confirms: the request remains active.

This is a developing story.