Overview
- Channel 12 published a 17-page 2019 legal opinion by attorney Eyal Rozovsky, requested by businessman Moti Sander, exploring whether a president could pardon Benjamin Netanyahu before indictment.
- The President’s Office says Herzog neither commissioned nor saw the memo and labels it a private initiative by Sander, warning that unfounded claims could face legal action.
- The opinion reportedly draws on the Bus 300 precedent and examines questions about pre-conviction clemency, possible implications of implied guilt, and the feasibility of pairing a pardon with Netanyahu’s political exit.
- The memo’s analysis notes the need for cooperation from legal authorities, particularly the attorney general, and anticipates High Court approval if a presidential decision were made.
- Netanyahu’s recent pardon request is under multi-week review by Justice Ministry professionals, and protest leaders canceled a planned meeting with Herzog pending clarification of the report.