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Netanyahu appears in court after seeking pardon in corruption trial

Iran Press TV

Monday, 01 December 2025 4:42 PM

The Israeli regime's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appeared in court for the first time since requesting a presidential pardon in his ongoing corruption trial.

According to Israeli Channel 12, the trial session commenced on Monday without the judges addressing the pardon request.

Netanyahu requested that his court appearance on Tuesday be canceled, citing "diplomatic and security schedules." The judges said they would consider this request.

Netanyahu has repeatedly sought to shorten or cancel his court sessions, claiming that they interfere with his management of Israel's two-year genocidal war in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Outside the Tel Aviv court, demonstrators gathered, some in orange prison-style jumpsuits, demanding that Netanyahu be imprisoned.

The protesters expressed outrage over his pardon request without an admission of guilt or accountability.

In a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog released on Sunday, Netanyahu's lawyers argued that frequent court appearances impede his ability to govern Israel, suggesting that a pardon would benefit the regime.

This request has polarized public opinion, with many opposing a pardon unless Netanyahu admits guilt and withdraws from political life.

Allies from Netanyahu's right-wing coalition support the request, which surfaced two weeks after a similar appeal by US President Donald Trump.

Opposition politicians argue that any pardon should depend on Netanyahu retiring from politics and admitting guilt, while others insist he must call elections, due by October 2026, before seeking a pardon.

Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister, said he would back ending the trial if Netanyahu agrees to step back from politics "to pull Israel out of this chaos."

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust following extensive investigations.

His trial began in 2020, marking him as the first sitting Israeli prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant in the regime's history. He faces three separate corruption cases.

The Israeli premier also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former war minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where more than 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.