Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid is urging President Isaac Herzog to take a tough line on any potential pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arguing that clemency should be off the table unless Netanyahu formally admits wrongdoing.

Speaking outside the president’s residence, Lapid said he urged Herzog to require a revised pardon request that complies with Israeli law — including an explicit admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and acceptance of a conviction involving moral turpitude.

“Only then can it be considered,” Lapid said in a recorded statement.

Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in November, but it did not include any acknowledgment of guilt. Herzog’s office has since said the matter is under review through established legal channels.

The issue has taken on new political urgency amid mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has publicly urged Herzog to intervene. Last week, Trump accused the Israeli president of failing Netanyahu, saying he should be “ashamed of himself” if he does not grant the pardon.

The intervention has complicated an already sensitive process, placing Herzog between domestic legal norms and international political pressure. Lapid, positioning himself as a defender of judicial independence, warned that bypassing legal requirements would undermine public trust in Israel’s justice system.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)