For months, President Isaac Herzog of Israel has deliberated over the politically fraught question of whether to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon in his long-running corruption trial. It\u2019s a highly contentious issue that has divided Israelis and drawn pressure from President Trump, who has aggressively intervened on Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n
But Mr. Herzog does not plan to give Mr. Netanyahu a pardon anytime soon. Instead he will first try to initiate a mediation process to reach a plea deal, according to two senior Israeli officials with direct knowledge of Mr. Herzog\u2019s thinking.<\/p>\n
Mr. Herzog, the officials said, believes that there are many options beyond the binary pardon-or-no-pardon choice, and that the main role of Israel\u2019s president is to foster unity. So he does not plan to say yes or no to Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s request for a pardon at this stage, the officials said, preferring to try to resolve the issue through negotiations.<\/p>\n
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the issue is so politically sensitive.<\/p>\n
In response to a request for comment, Mr. Herzog\u2019s office said in a statement: \u201cPresident Isaac Herzog has stated on several occasions that he regards reaching an amicable solution between the parties as an important public interest. As for the decision on the pardon request, the president will act solely in accordance with Israeli law, guided by his conscience, and in the best interests of the state of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prime minister\u2019s office and Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n
Mr. Netanyahu, 76, a conservative, has been on trial for almost six years. Charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, he is battling three separate but interlocking cases<\/a> centered on accusations that he arranged favors for tycoons in exchange for gifts and sympathetic media coverage of him and his family.<\/p>\n He denies all wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a political witch hunt by a liberal \u201cdeep state,\u201d finding a kindred spirit in Mr. Trump in that regard. The American president has pressed Mr. Herzog hard for a pardon and called him \u201cdisgraceful\u201d and a \u201cweak and pathetic guy\u201d for not already granting one.<\/p>\n Israel is deeply divided over the issue. Polls indicate that about half of all Israelis oppose a pardon<\/a>. Opinions are split roughly along political lines, with conservatives more sympathetic to the prime minister.<\/p>\n Mr. Herzog is acutely aware that the atmosphere in the country is tense, the officials said, because of the wars in Gaza, Iran and Lebanon, and with national elections slated to take place within six months.<\/p>\n Though the president\u2019s role in Israel is largely ceremonial, one of the few powers Mr. Herzog has is granting pardons. A decision either way would be momentous and defining for both his and Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s legacies and for the country\u2019s future trajectory.<\/p>\n The officials who spoke of Mr. Herzog\u2019s plans declined to elaborate on the potential outlines of a deal at this point, before the sides were even on board with mediation.<\/p>\n A plea agreement usually involves an admission of wrongdoing by the defendant and some kind of sanction. Israeli legal experts have said<\/a> that any plea deal should be conditioned on Mr. Netanyahu\u2019s agreeing to resign from public office.<\/p>\n Mr. Netanyahu has so far shown no inclination to admit any wrongdoing or to quit political life.<\/p>\n \u201cNetanyahu knows the option of a plea bargain is always available to him,\u201d said Yohanan Plesner, the president of the Israel Democracy Institute, an independent research group based in Jerusalem. \u201cAn admission of guilt, expressing remorse and agreeing to leave \u2014 or not to run for \u2014 office would be the essence of any plea bargain,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cIf you are giving up on a prison sentence, that\u2019s the minimum that should be required.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the officials said, Mr. Herzog believes that with good will, the legal landscape leaves room for creativity and innovation and that mediation would be the only way to heal the rifts threatening to tear Israel apart.<\/p>\n