Netanyahu Trial

Israel's hostage crisis nears its end, the country's prime minister tries to find an escape from his trial, and drama stirs with the Guinness World Records: This week’s Deep Dive breaks it all down.

Isaac Herzog has to contend with a tremendous dilemma regarding the pardon request. Like the trial itself, no result is going to be fully accepted and certainly not unifying.

AS Trump's poodle, a pardoned Netanyahu would be less free to speak up when he feels America’s actions go against Israel’s interests.

Benjamin Netanyahu's trial returns to Case 4000, in which the PM is accused of advancing regulatory benefits worth hundreds of millions of shekels to Shaul Elovitch in exchange for favorable coverage

Israel deserves a legitimate October 7 inquiry and new elections, amid dramatic efforts to make amends and heal wounds.

Seeking a pardon before a verdict – particularly when the defendant is the prime minister – creates an extraordinary situation that could destabilize the relations between the branches of government.

It would be in Israel’s best interests to grant the request on the condition that Netanyahu agrees to finish out his present term and retire from politics. 

“It is clear to me that the issue of the pardon is shaking many people in the country; it will be handled in the best possible way," Herzog stated

Prosecutor Tirosh focused questioning on Case 4000 discrepancies, comparing Netanyahu's description of Walla news site during his tenure vs. his current court testimony.

Legal experts argue that using presidential clemency before a verdict would overturn long-standing norms that reserve pardons for those who have accepted responsibility.

Netanyahu’s request for a pardon forces Israel to confront a decade of legal battles and the question of whether extending the trial is in the public's best interest.