"The news hit the headlines in Israel without warning: On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked President Isaac Herzog to grant him a preemptive pardon, ending his corruption trial. It would be a highly controversial, almost unprecedented move, as presidential pardons are usually only granted after a conviction. Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel's leading daily newspapers, on Monday ran with the headline "The pardon dilemma," while free right-wing daily Israel Hayom acknowledged that "the request is unusual and carries significant implications.""
"Netanyahu argued that while it was in his personal interest to prove his innocence in court, it was also in the national interest to cut short the trial, which he claimed was "tearing us apart." "The security and political reality, the national interest, demands otherwise," Netanyahu said in his video statement. "The ongoing trial is tearing us apart from within, fueling fierce disagreements and deepening divisions." Netanyahu claimed that "ending the trial immediately would help lower tensions and promote reconciliation our country so desperately needs.""
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested a preemptive pardon from President Isaac Herzog to halt his corruption trial, an unusual move since pardons are typically granted after conviction. Netanyahu framed the request as serving the national interest, saying the ongoing trial is tearing the country apart and deepening divisions. Israeli newspapers labelled the request a dilemma and noted its significant implications. The pardon push received support from US President Donald Trump, who wrote to Herzog and publicly called for a full pardon. Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, including allegations of accepting luxury goods and soliciting favorable media coverage.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]