Israel - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently asked the president of Israel to pardon him of the long list of corruption charges he faces.

In a statement provided to The Guardian, President Isaac Herzog's office acknowledged they had received a 111-page request from Netanyahu's attorney, and it had been passed on to the pardons department in the Ministry of Justice.

"The office of the president is aware that this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications," the office said. "After receiving all of the relevant opinions, the president will responsibly and sincerely consider the request."

Netanyahu has been on trial since 2020, facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, involving alleged political favors for wealthy backers in return for gifts or positive media coverage.

He has denied all the allegations against him, describing the charges as a "witch hunt."

On Sunday, Netanyahu shared a video on X, explaining that it is within his "personal interest" to seek a full acquittal.

"But the security and political reality, the national interest, demands otherwise," Netanyahu said.

"The ongoing trial is tearing us apart from within, fuelling fierce disagreements, and deepening divisions," he continued.

"I am sure, like many others, that ending the trial immediately would help lower tensions and promote the broad reconciliation our country so desperately needs."

Netanyahu's request comes a few weeks after US President Donald Trump – who has been a staunch ally of his as he oversees the extremely controversial war in Gaza – sent a letter to President Herzog, praising Netanyahu as a "decisive War Time Prime Minister" and describing the case against him as a "political, unjustified prosecution."

It would be highly unprecedented for any Israeli politician to receive a pardon prior to a criminal trial or a guilty plea, and doing so could set off a political and constitutional crisis.

In an X post addressing President Herzog, Yair Lapid – the leader of the Yesh Atid party – argued the request shouldn't be granted without "an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and an immediate withdrawal from political life," adding, "Only the guilty seek pardon."