According to the Times of Israel, the President's Residence confirmed receiving the request on Sunday, which included a 111-page document prepared by Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Hadad, along with a personal letter signed by the prime minister. Herzog's office stated that the president will "sincerely consider the request" after receiving opinions from relevant authorities within the Justice Ministry's Pardons Department.
In a video statement released shortly after the submission, Netanyahu defended his decision, stating that "nearly a decade has passed since the investigations against me began" and emphasizing that while his personal interest would be to see the legal process through until he is cleared, "the security and diplomatic reality — the national interest — demand otherwise."
Netanyahu, who faces one count of bribery and three counts each of fraud and breach of trust, argued that ending the trial would help "lower the flames and promote broad reconciliation." He cited the recent requirement by judges for him to testify three times a week, as well as a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump urging Herzog to grant the pardon, as factors in his decision.
The move drew praise from senior coalition members. Coalition whip MK Ofir Katz declared Netanyahu "a true leader who always puts the good of the state before his personal good." National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the pardon as "critical for the security of the state," while Culture Minister Miki Zohar called it "the right thing to do for the sake of the country's future." However, Likud MK Tally Gotliv expressed "pain and humiliation" over the submission, arguing that the trial has demonstrated persecution against Netanyahu and the right wing.
Meanwhile, other significant developments unfolded. Two IDF soldiers wounded in a clash in Beit Jann, southern Syria, last week are now in stable condition at Haifa's Rambam Medical Center. One soldier sustained a gunshot wound that penetrated his vest and stopped inside his heart. Surgeons performed complex surgery but decided to leave the bullet in place.
In Gaza, a Hamas commander was among militants killed while fleeing a Rafah tunnel, during which operation Israeli forces recovered the rifle of a fallen IDF soldier. Qatar issued a statement urging Israel not to "obstruct" progress to the next phase of the Gaza hostage deal over the final two bodies still held in the enclave.
In positive news, freed hostage Yosef-Haim Ohana officially returned home to Kiryat Malachi after completing six weeks of rehabilitation. Ohana, kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, was among the final 20 living hostages released on October 13.
The pardon request represents an extraordinary step in Israeli politics, with Herzog's office acknowledging the "significant implications" of the decision ahead.