Bombshell
Report Reveals Herzog, Aides Wrote Confidential Opinion on Netanyahu Pardon Before Presidency
President Herzog and his associates allegedly wrote a secret legal opinion about pardoning Netanyahu before the PM was even indicted. President's Office denies report, which suggested pardon in exchange for retirement.
A confidential legal opinion prepared in 2019 for associates of Isaac Herzog examined a potential framework for pardoning Benjamin Netanyahu before the former prime minister was even indicted, according to a report aired Tuesday. The document, commissioned while Herzog was chairman of the Jewish Agency and already eyeing a presidential run, explored whether Netanyahu could receive a pre-indictment pardon in exchange for retiring from political life.
A former associate of Herzog claimed the opinion reflected an early understanding between the sides about the possibility of a pardon. The President’s Office forcefully rejected the allegation, calling it “a complete falsehood,” insisting Herzog only learned of the document years later from media reports.
According to the report, the opinion was commissioned by businessman Moti Sander, a close associate of Herzog at the time, and drafted by senior attorney Eyal Rozovsky. It analyzed the president’s ability to grant a pre-trial pardon and cited the 1984 Kav 300 affair, in which Herzog’s father, President Chaim Herzog, pardoned Shin Bet officials before their convictions. The opinion concluded that such a move would require the cooperation of the attorney general and that any final decision would likely be tested before the High Court.
In 2019, ahead of the attorney general’s announcement of charges against Netanyahu, Herzog reportedly approached both President Reuven Rivlin and Netanyahu to explore the possibility of a negotiated departure from politics in exchange for a pardon. Political activist Eldad Yaniv later asked legal authorities to examine whether Herzog’s actions posed concerns regarding the integrity expected of a future president, but the request was not acted upon.
The report adds that Herzog’s former associate believed the legal opinion laid groundwork for a political deal: support for Herzog’s presidential bid in return for Herzog’s support for a pardon. He alleged Herzog’s interest was “not principled,” but preparatory.
The President’s Office rejected the entire narrative. “There was never any agreement, understanding or recognition—explicit or implicit—between President Herzog and Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding his legal affairs or any pardon,” the office said. It described Sander’s involvement as a private initiative unconnected to Herzog and stressed that Herzog never saw the document before it appeared in the media.
The revelations surface as Netanyahu has formally requested a pardon from Herzog, while insisting he will not step down from political life to receive one. President Donald Trump has openly encouraged Herzog to grant the pardon, though Herzog maintains that Israel’s legal system will guide his decision.
The President’s Office says the request will be reviewed over the coming weeks by Justice Ministry professionals like any other pardon application.