Overview
- At a Jerusalem news conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Benjamin Netanyahu said he will not leave politics in return for clemency.
- Netanyahu’s lawyers submitted a 111-page pardon petition, which President Isaac Herzog has transferred to the Justice Ministry for expert opinions.
- The review is expected to take weeks or longer before Herzog issues a decision.
- President Donald Trump has pressed for clemency in communications with both Netanyahu and Herzog, including an official letter, according to reported accounts.
- Opposition leaders and hundreds of retired Israeli police officers urge rejection absent remorse or withdrawal from politics, while Netanyahu’s corruption trials and ICC warrants remain in effect.