Former PM Bennett Supports Pardon for Netanyahu Under Strict Condition

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has expressed support for granting a pardon to current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, but with a significant condition: Netanyahu must permanently withdraw from political life. Bennett made these remarks during an interview on the "All In" podcast with Ido Segal.

Bennett clarified that he favors ending the ongoing legal proceedings against Netanyahu and offering him a pardon, provided that Netanyahu completely steps away from politics. "If he goes home and cannot return, certainly I am for a pardon. Stop the trial, but he doesn't return to politics," Bennett stated.

He explained his reasoning, emphasizing a lack of personal animosity. "I have no hatred towards him, no desire for revenge, he doesn't interest me," Bennett said. He further elaborated that for a considerable portion of the Israeli public, Netanyahu has become a symbol beyond just a politician, comparable to national symbols like the flag or the menorah.

Addressing whether his stance remained the same after the October 7th attacks, Bennett affirmed it did for some segments of the population. He expressed no desire to harm this symbolic status. "Also, you know, the man is nearing eighty, not a young Jew, I don't want to see him in an orange jumpsuit," Bennett added, referring to the color often associated with prison uniforms. He concluded by stating that while Netanyahu may have committed offenses, he did not commit murder, and Bennett would prefer not to see him imprisoned if he is out of politics.