Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Thursday that a request for a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still under review, stressing that he will not bow to any external or internal pressure in the matter.
Isaac Herzog © Mena Today
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Thursday that a request for a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still under review, stressing that he will not bow to any external or internal pressure in the matter.
In a statement, Herzog’s office clarified that, contrary to remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump, no decision has yet been taken.
The request submitted by Netanyahu is currently being examined by Israel’s Justice Ministry for legal review, in line with established procedures. Only after that process is completed will the president consider the matter “in accordance with the law and in the best interest of the State of Israel.”
Earlier at the White House, Trump said Herzog “should be ashamed” for not granting the pardon, following talks with Netanyahu. The Israeli prime minister, who is on trial in three separate corruption cases, formally applied for a presidential pardon in late November, backed publicly by Trump.
Herzog has previously stated that any decision would be guided solely by the interests of the state and society, underscoring the sensitivity of a case that continues to divide Israeli public opinion.
An Iranian parliamentary committee is reviewing a preliminary bill that would bar U.S., Israeli and other "hostile" vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing a lawmaker.
Israel said two of its soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon on Wednesday while Lebanese authorities said Israeli retaliatory attacks killed at least one person, a flare-up in violence that coincided with the latest round of talks between the two countries.
The Israeli military said it had begun targeted strikes in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "Hezbollah violation", a day after the latest round of U.S.-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon took place in Rome.
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