A secret legal opinion prepared for Isaac Herzog before his election as President - examining the possibility of granting Benjamin Netanyahu a pardon before an indictment was filed - was revealed Tuesday evening on Channel 12 News.
The legal opinion, commissioned by businessman Moti Sander, a close associate of Herzog, was written by senior attorney Eyal Rozovsky and was intended to pave the way for a potential pardon request at that time.
The initiative was formulated shortly before then-Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced the filing of the indictment against Netanyahu. Ultimately, the plan never advanced, and the indictment process proceeded as scheduled.
According to individuals close to Herzog, even during the presidential campaign there was an understanding between certain parties that a pardon might be possible. Herzog reportedly approached both Prime Minister Netanyahu and then-President Reuven Rivlin at the time, attempting to secure an agreement under which Netanyahu would retire from political life in exchange for a pardon.
The President’s Office strongly denied all claims.
“There was never any agreement, understanding, or recognition - explicit, implicit, or hinted - between President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linking Herzog’s presidency to Netanyahu’s legal matters, including a pardon. Anyone claiming otherwise is lying and risks a defamation lawsuit,” the President’s Office stated.
Addressing the legal opinion itself, the President’s Office said: “This is a complete and recycled falsehood by an individual named Moti Sander, who had no role in the presidential campaign whatsoever. As has been repeatedly published, the opinion was a private initiative by Mr. Sander, and reports at the time clearly stated that the President was not connected to it. President Herzog never saw this legal opinion and only became aware of it years later when it surfaced in the media. It should also be emphasized that President Herzog was elected by an unprecedented majority, receiving broad support from across the political spectrum, and did not need Netanyahu’s support or that of anyone associated with him.”
As for the pardon request submitted by Netanyahu last week, the President’s Office clarified that: “The pardon request submitted by Prime Minister Netanyahu will be reviewed like any other. The process will take many weeks, and it is currently being examined by professional officials at the Ministry of Justice.”