The information was published after the Justice Ministry announced earlier today that the relevant department had completed its legal memorandum regarding Netanyahu’s pardon request and forwarded it to Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu.

Eliyahu was assigned by Justice Minister Yariv Levin to handle the bureaucratic process required for the document to be sent to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog.

The final decision on whether a pardon will be granted to the prime minister rests with Herzog. Levin—and by extension Eliyahu—do not have institutional authority in the pardon process, but they do have the right to review the legal memorandum before it is sent to the presidential office.

Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020, facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

According to a report by the Ynet news website, the Pardon Department concluded that granting a pardon to Netanyahu would be difficult because the trial is still ongoing and no conviction has been issued. At the same time, in his request the prime minister does not admit guilt nor express remorse for the actions attributed to him.

Israel’s Supreme Court has previously ruled that a pardon could theoretically be granted even before a conviction is issued, but only if the person requesting the pardon has acknowledged the offenses for which they are seeking forgiveness.

After receiving the legal memorandum, Amichai Eliyahu stated that the Pardon Department believes the request “requires further examination by the president.”

According to the same reports, U.S. President Donald Trump has exerted strong pressure on Isaac Herzog to grant a pardon to Netanyahu. The Israeli president has responded that he will make his decision without external interference.