Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he will not step away from political life, even if he receives a presidential pardon in his long-running corruption case.
Asked whether he planned to retire from politics should President Isaac Herzog grant him a pardon, Netanyahu gave a brief but direct answer: “No.”
Netanyahu formally requested a pardon last month, with his legal team arguing that the prime minister’s frequent court appearances hinder his ability to govern, and that ending the legal process would serve the country’s stability.
However, Israel has no precedent for issuing a pardon in the middle of an ongoing trial. Traditionally, pardons are granted only once all legal proceedings have concluded and a conviction has been handed down.
Netanyahu, who faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, continues to insist he has done nothing wrong. His lawyers maintain that if the trial were completed, it would end in a “full acquittal.”
In an unusual intervention, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote to Herzog before the pardon request was formally submitted, encouraging the Israeli president to consider granting Netanyahu clemency.
Opposition politicians reacted sharply. Some argued that any pardon must be conditioned on Netanyahu’s retirement from political life and an admission of guilt, while others insisted he must first call early national elections, ahead of the deadline set for October 2026.
