President Isaac Herzog has decided to completely freeze all further review of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's official pardon request, Kan 11 News reported Sunday evening.
According to the report, Herzog's decision was made after the Prime Minister's team failed to respond to an initiative to open a direct channel of communication aimed at exploring an agreed-upon compromise framework for his trial.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara was briefed on the details and expressed her support in principle for the move. However, Netanyahu chose not to reply to the President's overture.
Sources close to the President interpreted Netanyahu's silence as a lack of willingness to cooperate, leading to the decision to remove the matter from the agenda and freeze the process.
Legal experts note that this decision carries critical significance, as Netanyahu's testimony in his criminal trial is expected to conclude shortly - and once it does, the pardon request may become obsolete.