Israeli President Isaac Herzog does not plan to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the near future, according to a New York Times report on Sunday.
Citing two senior Israeli officials with direct knowledge of the issue, the NYT said that Herzog will instead attempt to begin mediation to reach a plea deal.
According to the NYT, officials who wish to remain anonymous stated that Herzog does not wish to address Netanyahu’s pardon at the moment, as his (the President’s) primary goal is to foster unity, preferring instead to deal with the problem through negotiations.
The Jerusalem Post reached out to the President’s office, which responded, “As President Isaac Herzog has stated on several occasions, President Isaac Herzog regards reaching an agreement between the parties in the cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu as a proper and appropriate resolution.
“Negotiations toward such an agreement are a necessary part of any effort to reach a consensus between the parties,” the response continued.
“The President, therefore, believes that before addressing the pardon request itself, efforts should first be exhausted to reach an agreement between the parties, outside the courtroom,” concluded the response.
Netanyahu has been on trial for nearly six years, having been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
