Herzog Says He Will “Consider only the good of the State of Israel and Israeli society” Regarding Netanyahu Pardon Request

President Isaac Herzog said on Monday that he will consider Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request solely through what he called the good of the State of Israel, issuing his first public response a day after the request was formally filed. The president said the matter “clearly shakes many people across different communities” and vowed to handle it “in the correct and most precise way.”

“I will consider only the good of the State of Israel and Israeli society; only Israel and its welfare are before my eyes,” Herzog said. He added that respectful public discourse is welcome, while “violent discourse does not influence me,” and invited Israelis to share their views directly: “I invite the public to the President’s Residence website, the house of the people, to express their opinions.”

On Sunday night, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Herzog’s home, urging him not to approve the request. Protesters chanted, “Don’t let Israel become a jihadist dictatorship,” before police declared the protest unlawful and dispersed the crowd.

The request now moves into a structured review process involving several bodies. It begins with the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department, which will gather material from the Israel Police, the Prison Service, state prosecutors, and relevant medical and welfare authorities. After compiling the information, the ministry will transfer the file to the justice minister, who must prepare a formal opinion before forwarding it to the President’s Residence. There, legal advisers will conduct additional checks and draft a final opinion for Herzog, who will then decide whether to approve the pardon or reject it with written reasons. Officials expect the entire process to take weeks and note that it will include examining the president’s authority to grant a pardon before conviction.

The debate also follows Herzog’s upcoming trip to the United States. Herzog does not intend to meet President Donald Trump, who has openly supported granting Netanyahu a pardon. Trump urged Herzog during a speech in the Knesset last month to approve such a move and later sent him a formal letter repeating the request. Herzog will instead attend conferences in New York hosted by Yeshiva University and the American Zionist Movement. 

Herzog has been cautious for years when asked about the possibility of a pardon. In 2022 he described the discussion as “theoretical.” In 2024 he declined to “enter the sophisticated question.”

All eyes now turn to the President’s Residence, where the request begins its formal review and awaits Herzog’s final decision.