According to a report published by The Times of Israel on May 8, 2026, Israeli President Isaac Herzog reportedly told a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he could not presently grant Netanyahu a presidential pardon amid the ongoing legal controversies surrounding the Israeli leader.
The report stated that the conversation allegedly took place during a private meeting held in March at the apartment of a mutual acquaintance. According to Channel 12, the meeting lasted approximately two and a half hours and involved Herzog and right-wing journalist Jacob Bardugo, a known ally of Netanyahu.
During the discussion, Herzog reportedly expressed frustration over increasing criticism directed at him from across Israel’s political spectrum regarding speculation that he might eventually pardon the prime minister.
“You don’t understand how everyone hates me now, and partly because of you,” Herzog reportedly told Bardugo, referring to the journalist’s repeated criticism of his refusal to grant Netanyahu clemency.
The Israeli president allegedly explained that he was facing mounting pressure from both political camps. “The left thinks I will grant a pardon no matter what. They consider me a suspect before I ever did anything. Meanwhile, you’re inciting the right against me nonstop,” Herzog was quoted as saying.
According to the report, Herzog also dismissed claims that Netanyahu had formally submitted a valid pardon request. “How can I grant Netanyahu a pardon when he never even submitted a request for a pardon? What he handed us is not a request and it has no chance of passing,” he reportedly stated.
The comments were said to reference a letter previously submitted by Netanyahu’s legal team earlier in the year. While the document reportedly argued that the prime minister deserved a pardon, it allegedly failed to include an admission of responsibility concerning the charges he currently faces — a key requirement often associated with pardon considerations in Israel.
Channel 12 further reported that Bardugo urged Herzog to reconsider, arguing that pardoning Netanyahu could help reduce political tensions and promote national unity.
“Stop being a coward, stop being afraid,” Bardugo reportedly told the president during the meeting.
The report has intensified political discussions in Israel, where debates surrounding Netanyahu’s legal battles and the possibility of presidential intervention continue to divide public opinion…….See More
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