Herzog Won't Pardon Netanyahu Now, Seeks Plea Deal

Officials involved in the discussions explained to the Times that Herzog is acutely aware of the charged public atmosphere in Israel, intensified by the ongoing war and the approaching election cycle. According to these sources, the President believes that given the complex legal circumstances, numerous creative options exist beyond the binary choice of "pardon or conviction."

From Herzog's perspective, the report indicated, mediating such an arrangement represents "the only way" to heal the deep divisions fracturing Israeli society and calm the turbulent political environment. The President views a negotiated settlement as a mechanism that could address both legal accountability and national unity concerns simultaneously.

Presidential Residence Confirms Mediation Preference

The President's Residence did not deny the New York Times report and issued a clarifying statement emphasizing Herzog's position. "As he has stated on several occasions in the past, President Isaac Herzog views reaching a settlement between the parties in Prime Minister Netanyahu's cases as an appropriate and correct solution," the statement read. "Contacts toward a settlement are a necessary part of the effort to bring the parties to agreement."

The statement continued: "The President believes it is proper first, before discussing the pardon request itself, to exhaust a process that could lead to the formulation of a settlement between the parties, outside the walls of the courtroom."

The development comes after Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu submitted his formal opinion on Netanyahu's pardon request to President Herzog earlier this week. Eliyahu assumed responsibility for handling the request after Justice Minister Yariv Levin recused himself due to his close relationship with the Prime Minister.

Minister Eliyahu had previously invoked the precedent of Herzog's father, former President Chaim Herzog, who granted pardons to Shin Bet officials in the Bus 300 affair during the 1980s. The younger Herzog, however, appears to be charting a different course, one that seeks consensus rather than unilateral executive action.

Legal experts have noted that granting a pardon while criminal proceedings remain active would be highly unusual under Israeli law. The mediation approach being promoted by the President's Residence could provide a middle path that addresses both the legal complexities and the political sensitivities surrounding the cases against the sitting Prime Minister.