Legal pause raises pressure on Netanyahu as trial testimony nears conclusion and political uncertainty deepens.
President Isaac Herzog has reportedly frozen further review of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official pardon request after Netanyahu’s team failed to respond to an initiative for direct talks on a possible compromise framework.
According to the report, Herzog had explored opening a communication channel that could examine an agreed path regarding Netanyahu’s criminal trial. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara was briefed on the initiative and supported the move in principle.
However, Netanyahu did not respond to the president’s overture. Sources close to Herzog interpreted the silence as a lack of willingness to cooperate, prompting the president to remove the pardon issue from the agenda and halt the process for now.
The decision could carry major legal and political significance. Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial is expected to conclude soon, and legal experts say the pardon request may become irrelevant once that stage is completed.
The freeze places renewed attention on Netanyahu’s legal strategy and the broader political consequences of his ongoing trial. It also highlights Herzog’s attempt to seek a structured compromise while avoiding unilateral action without cooperation from the prime minister’s side.
For Israel’s political system, the stalled pardon process adds another layer of uncertainty at a sensitive moment, as legal proceedings, coalition tensions and public debate over leadership accountability continue to collide.
