Herzog Freezes Consideration of Netanyahu's Pardon Request

SadaNews - The Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, has frozen the consideration regarding the pardon request associated with the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This was reported by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation ("Kan 11") on Sunday evening.

The broadcaster mentioned in a report that this decision comes "after Netanyahu completely ignored Herzog's invitation for dialogue in an attempt to reach agreements regarding this issue."

Herzog had invited Netanyahu for dialogue about a month ago, while the government’s legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, expressed her support for this step; however, the Prime Minister did not respond to the invitation, neither positively nor negatively.

According to the report, Netanyahu's testimony in his trial is set to conclude soon, and once it ends, the pardon request will become null and void.

Last February, the American President, Donald Trump, criticized Herzog, saying he "should be ashamed for not granting Netanyahu a pardon."

Herzog responded at the time in a statement, saying: "In order to maintain order, and as has been clarified repeatedly, the Prime Minister's request aligns with the rules of the Ministry of Justice, and it is a request for a legal opinion. After completing the procedures, the President of the State will examine the request in accordance with the law, the interests of the country, and his conscience, and without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind."

Trump had previously attacked Herzog regarding the same issue several times.