"Six years after he was indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, seeking an end to his long-running and unprecedented corruption trial.

Netanyahu did not admit guilt and, in a video statement, continued to contest the charges against him and the legitimacy of the process by which he was indicted. He also did not indicate any readiness to step down as prime minister, arguing that, if he were pardoned, he would be free to more effectively advance Israel’s interests.

He further argued that the trial was tearing Israel apart and that its immediate conclusion “would greatly help lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation.” The formal documents, released in full by Herzog’s office, include an 111-page request from Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad and a letter signed by Netanyahu. According to Herzog’s office, Hadad submitted the request to the President’s Residence Legal Department.

The request marks a new phase in Netanyahu’s legal battle, which has stretched across years of shifting electoral fortunes, political turmoil, pandemic, wars and protests. For the entire time since the indictment, and after the trial began in 2020, Netanyahu’s opponents have called on him to step down over the charges. Netanyahu, throughout those years, has declared his innocence time and again and decried the trial as a politically motivated witch hunt.

The Israel Democracy Institute think tank noted, in a recent analysis article, that “No law requires an admission of guilt as a condition for a pardon,” but also that the attorney general’s office has long directed that handling pardon requests before conviction should occur “only in rare cases.” It highlighted that the Supreme Court — following the presidential pardon of Shin Bet suspects before trial, but after an admission of guilt, in the 1984 Bus 300 affair — held that such presidential intervention must be reserved for “exceptional” circumstances.

In the request, Hadad cited Netanyahu’s duties as prime minister, and claimed a pardon would heal the societal divisions caused in part by the trial and its ripple effects. “Granting this request will allow the prime minister to devote all of his time, abilities, and energy to advancing Israel in these critical times,” wrote Hadad, “and to dealing with the challenges and opportunities that lie before it. In addition, granting the request will help mend rifts between different segments of the public, and open the door to lowering the flames of tensions, all for the purpose of strengthening the country’s national resilience.”

Hinting at a potential readiness by Netanyahu to intervene in ongoing coalition efforts to constrict the independence and authority of the judiciary, and to impose government oversight on the free press, Hadad further wrote that a pardon would enable the prime minister “to deal with additional issues, such as the judicial system and the media — issues that he is currently prevented from handling because of the trial.”

Herzog said he would evaluate the request based on expert opinion from the Justice Ministry. But political sparring got underway almost immediately. Netanyahu’s allies endorsed the request as a salve for, as one put it, “charges that were born in sin,” while the premier’s opponents and critics broadly called on the president to reject it, calling it a “deadly blow to the rule of law.” Netanyahu is charged with one count of bribery and three counts each of fraud and breach of trust, in three separate cases. The charges relate to allegations of improper manipulation of the press and receiving illicit gifts in return for government favors. He denies any wrongdoing, and has argued that the charges were fabricated in an attempted political coup by the police and state prosecution.

His trial began in 2020 after years of investigations. Delayed by the coronavirus pandemic as well as by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack and subsequent war in Gaza, it is still far from reaching an end. Save for a roughly year-and-a-half-long period from mid-2021 to the end of 2022, Netanyahu has led Israel for all of it, and is the first sitting prime minister to go on trial. In his video statement, Netanyahu said it was in Israel’s national interest for the trial to end. “Nearly a decade has passed since the investigations against me began,” he said. “The trial in these matters has been ongoing for almost six years, and it is expected to continue for many more years.” Netanyahu claimed, without offering evidence, that it was becoming increasingly clear that “serious crimes” were committed in building the case against him. He said that his own interest remained in seeing the legal process through until he is cleared of all charges.

However, he claimed, it would be better for the country if the trial were to end early. He also cited the schedule of court hearings mandated by the judges in the case, requiring him to testify three times a week.

“The security and diplomatic reality — the national interest — demand otherwise,” said Netanyahu.

“Israel is facing enormous challenges, and alongside them great opportunities,” he continued. “To repel the threats and realize the opportunities, national unity is required.”

He argued that the trial’s continuation “tears us apart from within. It stirs divisions and deepens rifts. I am certain, as are many others in the nation, that an immediate end to the trial would greatly help lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation — something our country desperately needs.” One factor in his decision to seek a pardon, Netanyahu said, was US President Donald Trump’s recent letter to Herzog requesting the measure. The letter, sent earlier this month on official White House letterhead, came after Trump urged Herzog from the Knesset rostrum during an October speech to pardon Netanyahu. The letter had suggested a pardon could help Netanyahu normalize Israel’s relations with neighboring countries.

“I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister,” the US president wrote, “and is now leading Israel into a time of peace, which includes my continued work with key Middle East leaders to add many additional countries to the world changing Abraham Accords.”..."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-requests-presidential-pardon-in-corruption-trial-doesnt-admit-guilt/

"Former prime minister Naftali Bennett affirmed on Sunday evening that he would support an agreement that leads to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being pardoned by President Isaac Herzog, if Netanyahu fully withdraws from political life.

The affirmation came in a post on Bennett's X/Twitter on Sunday evening..."
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-876755

"This week, for the whole world to see. On Tuesday, the first Israel Hayom summit in the US opens in Manhattan, focusing on all the major issues of recent weeks, including and excusive behind-the-scenes look at President Donald Trump's Gaza plan..."
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/11/30/israel-hayom-summit-to-reveal-behind-the-scenes-look-at-gaza-plan/

"The day is not far off when Hamas either returns the last of the deceased hostages to Israel, or announces that it has done everything it can but is unable to locate them, despite all its efforts. When that happnes, the agreement brokered by the US stipulates that the sides are supposed to move into Phase Two. Under that phase, Israel is expected to gradually withdraw from the Gaza Strip in several stages while maintaining a perimeter presence. Reconstruction of Gaza would begin and, in parallel and in line with Israel's demand, a process to demilitarize the Strip would start, with an international force deployed in its place.

But despite Washington's good intentions, and despite Donald Trump's extensive plans for postwar Gaza, at this stage not a single country has agreed to send troops to the Strip as part of the multinational force the US hopes to establish. That force is supposed, in the American view, to dismantle Hamas and create an alternative to its rule.

The major concern in Israel is that the Americans are so determined to advance their plan that, despite the obstacles, they will try to push forward with the parts they can implement, namely reconstruction of the Strip and pressure on the IDF to withdraw. For now, the position within Israel's defense establishment is withdrawal only in exchange for demilitarization. It remains unclear whether the Americans will ultimately accept that demand. This raises the question of what Israel will do and whether it will stand firm or once again bow to American pressure. In the meantime, US officials are supposed to oversee the process through the American command center operating in Kiryat Gat, known as the CMCC. Yet anyone reading the announcement released by US Central Command marking one month since the center began operating in its current form would have noticed that nearly all the achievements listed focused on humanitarian activity, not on advancing any of the additional processes the center is supposed to promote.

According to the American plan, Gaza is now divided into two zones. The red zone is where the Hamas terrorist organization remains entrenched, described as old Gaza, west of the so-called yellow line. The green zone is the area of new Gaza under IDF control, located east of that line. Washington is trying to begin reconstruction efforts in the green zone, starting with Rafah.

Senior Israeli defense officials say that for now, Israel's interest is to allow the Americans to pursue the processes they want to advance in order to return the hostages. A senior security source said: "We are as free as we need to be right now. We currently control the territory, thwart attacks, eliminate threats and gradually force the terrorists to surrender. The Americans are leading a broad international process. You could argue they are naive, but we will help them anyway. This gives us legitimacy and time to rebuild the army and restore its readiness, which is essential for both conscript and reserve forces."

Another senior security official said the only party capable of dismantling Hamas is Israel. "No one is going to do it for us, just as no one is going to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons arsenal on our behalf. But we allow the Americans to try, and we assist them as much as possible. If, as is likely, they fail to achieve this, at some point we will have no choice but to do it ourselves."

For now, Israel's patience is paying off at least in the Rafah sector. Israeli security officials say that after an IDF Hermes drone struck a tunnel shaft in the Jenina neighborhood of Rafah two days ago, four bodies were located and taken for examination in Israel. Initial assessments suggest they were the battalion commander, the deputy commander and the company commander of the terrorists in the tunnels.

In recent weeks Israel has recovered around 40 bodies of terrorists from tunnel shafts, and several others have been taken for questioning. From the outset, Israeli officials assessed that several dozen terrorists were in the Rafah tunnel system, somewhere between 80 and 120. The current assessment is that only a few dozen remain..."
https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/11/30/israel-fears-us-driven-timeline-in-gaza-as-terrorists-emerge-starving-from-rafah-tunnels/

"Iran and Turkey have agreed to begin constructing a new joint rail link to serve as a strategic gateway between Asia and Europe, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday.

The planned route, known in Iran as the Marand–Cheshmeh Soraya railway transit line and running towards Turkey’s Aralik border region, will cover around 200 kilometers (120 miles).

It will cost roughly $1.6 billion and is expected to take three to four years to complete, Iranian authorities have said..."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-and-turkey-agree-to-build-key-trade-rail-link-along-ancient-silk-road/

"The Israel Air Force saw "severe failures" during the October 7, 2023, massacre, including a "chain of incorrect decisions, overly rigid control structures, and an inability to understand real-time situations," Brig.-Gen. (res.) Oren Solomon told N12 News on Saturday.

Solomon is one of the leading investigators into the IDF's failures in preventing the massacre.

"IAF receives intelligence reports at night, with no situation assessment process taking place," Solomon told N12. "Everyone got a call on the red phone line [used for operational, interdepartmental communications] and said 'yes, we understood,' before hanging up, and carrying out no operational processes connected to intelligence received."

On that night, the Intelligence Directorate received indications of Hamas preparations, but the IAF did not receive the signals. "At 2:30 a.m., a young female officer was sitting in the office when intelligence indications arrived that Hamas was planning something," Solomon commented. She asked to receive intelligence materials to better understand the information from the intelligence directorate and Unit 8200, but was told that she was not authorized, he stated. The officer called military intelligence approximately 50 times to get approval, but still did not receive any documents or materials.

Then-chief of staff Herzi Halevi conducted a situation assessment at approximately 4 a.m., and "almost completely dismissed the possibility that Hamas would attack from the air," Solomon said. This assessment was made without consulting IAF chief Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar.

"Israel was hit by dozens of drones that exploded on IDF outposts, vehicles, and observation towers. Six terrorists on gliders also began a killing spree," Solomon recounted.

The IAF did not have a situational picture when the terrorists infiltrated at 6:29 a.m. onwards. However, after only 24 minutes, it had received concrete information on two mass-scale infiltrations, he said.

At 6:53 a.m., the Gaza Division's duty operations officer told IAF's central command about "several simultaneous raids." Despite being told of an expanded fire policy, the IAF did not attack the area of the barrier, and the IDF's Southern Command did not request them to do so, Solomon recounted.

"What did the planes do instead of taking off immediately and striking terrorists at the barrier between Gaza and Israel? They planned, sat on the ground for almost three hours, and did not attack," Solomon commented.

"At 7:10 a.m., the order was given to conduct airstrikes, but planes did not attack until 10:30."

Then-Gaza Division chief Avi Rosenfeld pleaded with the IAF to strike, but the air force did not exercise "independent thinking," and the barrier fence was not struck, Solomon added..."
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-876745