Netanyahu: I will not retire in exchange for a pardon

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that any discussion of clemency must not be tied to the condition that he leave political life, pushing back directly against persistent rumors that a pardon would require his retirement. Speaking after a joint press appearance with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Netanyahu was asked whether he would agree to step away from politics in exchange for a presidential pardon. He replied simply: “No.” The remark, brief as it was, effectively shut down speculation that such a condition might accompany his request.

Netanyahu submitted a formal plea for clemency to President Isaac Herzog last week. In that request he argued that the continuation of his criminal trial has deepened divisions within Israeli society and that ending the proceedings would serve the public interest. He did not admit guilt. The combination of a pre-verdict pardon request and the absence of any willingness to step aside has fueled debate over whether the request fits within Israel’s established norms surrounding presidential clemency.

For weeks, political circles have traded rumors that Netanyahu might signal readiness to retire from public life as part of an arrangement that would ease the path toward a pardon. His comment today ruled that out explicitly, and it leaves the public discussion focused on the central question raised by legal experts: whether a pardon can or should be granted to a sitting prime minister who neither acknowledges wrongdoing nor agrees to relinquish power.

The clemency issue drew international attention earlier this year when President Donald Trump, addressing the Knesset, openly urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu. Trump repeated that message in subsequent comments, framing the trial as politically motivated. His intervention injected additional pressure into what had already become a volatile constitutional dispute.

Netanyahu’s statement today clarifies his position but complicates the president’s decision. Herzog is expected to weigh legal opinions in the coming days before determining whether to consider clemency at all, and, if so, under what conditions.