**Israeli President Isaac Herzog has so far prioritized plea negotiations over granting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a pre-verdict pardon in his long-running corruption trial on bribery, fraud, and breach-of-trust charges.** Netanyahu formally requested clemency from Herzog in November 2025; the Justice Ministry’s Pardons Department later advised against it, citing the absence of a conviction, lack of guilt admission or remorse, and the exceptional nature of halting an active proceeding against a sitting prime minister. Coalition figures including ministers Yariv Levin and Amichai Eliyahu have pressed for clemency or charge dismissal, while judges have again urged prosecutors to drop the central bribery count. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for a pardon, but Herzog’s office has emphasized sovereignty, rule-of-law constraints, and the preference for mediated arrangements between the parties. The trial continues with defense evidence and closing arguments pending, with resolution hinging on whether negotiations produce an acceptable deal or political pressures shift Herzog’s stance before a verdict.