Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana urges Herzog to pardon Netanyahu in letter with no formal legal basis

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana sent President Isaac Herzog a letter urging him to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit's testimony as exposing "failures and violations of the law." Ohana's letter is a political appeal with no formal legal basis or authority in the clemency process. Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in November 2025, which has been forwarded to Herzog after review by the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department. The president has the authority to grant a pardon, but Ohana's letter does not change the status of the request or give him a role in the process.

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana sent President Isaac Herzog a letter urging him to grant Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pardon request, citing former attorney-general Avichai Mandelblit's testimony as exposing "failures and violations of the law." Ohana's letter is a political appeal, not a formal step in the clemency process, as he lacks the legal authority to issue such a request. Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in November 2025, which has since gone through the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department and been forwarded to Herzog. The president has the authority to grant a pardon; Ohana's letter does not give him a role in that process or change the status of the request. Mandelblit told the Jerusalem District Court on Sunday that investigators took some serious steps without his approval, but also testified that he authorized the investigations and did not have to approve every police action. The prosecution disputes the defense's account, as the trial continues in the defense stage. Netanyahu asked Herzog for a pardon more than five years after his trial began in 2020, while proceedings were still underway and before any verdict. The President's Office says clemency requests are generally considered only after legal proceedings have ended.