Corruption trial: Netanyahu seeks pardon
In 2019 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust - and of having received luxury gifts to the value of 174,000 euros, including jewellery, cigars and champagne. Now he has claimed that pardoning him would promote the "reconciliation our country so desperately needs", and sent a letter to President Isaac Herzog asking for a pardon.
He belongs behind bars
For Politiken Netanyahu's attempt to obtain a pardon from the president is a sign of desperation:
“The fact that Netanyahu doesn't dare go to court to prove his innocence strongly suggests that he's guilty. The attempt to pressure the president into granting a pardon at a time when Israel's international reputation is at an all-time low due to the brutality of the Gaza war underscores his extreme egotism. ... Netanyahu's attempt to get a presidential pardon smacks of desperation. His government is on its last legs, and elections are due in less than a year. His era is coming to an end. Let's hope he lands behind bars - either in Israel or in The Hague.”
A whole chunk of chutzpah
Pravda points to Netanyahu's impudence:
“Israel's war in Gaza and the Middle East delayed the legal process. On Saturday, however, President Isaac Herzog received a letter from Netanyahu's lawyer making a formal request for a pardon. ... The sheer chutzpah of it! ... Head of the opposition Yair Lapid reminded the president that a pardon could not be granted without an admission of guilt. There are no legal grounds for a pardon. The only option is to put Netanyahu on trial, convict him and remove him from politics. Otherwise the state of Israel will have to recognise corruption as the basis of its functioning.”