Knesset Speaker Urges President to Grant Netanyahu Clemency

Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana has sent a dramatic letter to Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, calling for clemency for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ohana's appeal follows his attendance at a court hearing where former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit testified.

In his letter, Ohana expressed strong criticism of the investigation and indictment against Netanyahu, particularly concerning the bribery charges. He stated that based on Mandelblit's testimony, even the remaining charges are founded on illegal investigative actions conducted without Netanyahu's knowledge or approval. Ohana also noted that Mandelblit did not recall reviewing claims of 315 instances of positive media coverage cited in the amended indictment, nor did he remember signing it himself.

Ohana argued that this conduct reveals a series of failures and that the system appears determined to end Netanyahu's political career, agreeing only to a compromise that achieves this outcome. He cited the position of the Pardons Department and the Legal Counsel's Office, as reflected in a clemency recommendation submitted by Minister Eliyahu and subsequent media briefings, as evidence of this.

Drawing on his own legal background, Ohana asserted that the just and appropriate decision, given the findings, is to grant the Prime Minister a pardon. He urged President Herzog not to delay further, emphasizing that the pardon request has been pending for approximately seven months and that the revealed facts are sufficient to make a decision.

Ohana concluded by lamenting the legal system's tendency to drag out proceedings, citing the cases against Netanyahu, other public figures, and ordinary citizens as examples.