Israeli president calls for plea bargain deal for Netanyahu in his corruption trial

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called on Monday for a plea bargain deal for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial, local media said.

"The possibility of a plea bargain in Netanyahu's trial should be considered," Herzog told the daily Haaretz.

Netanyahu faces three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019 against him: Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000, which include accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “fake.”

He appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday for the 25th time since December 2024.

The idea of a plea bargain deal for Netanyahu has previously surfaced. Under this deal, the prime minister would exit political life in return for canceling a possible prison sentence.

“It is not a bad idea at all to examine the option of a plea bargain deal for reducing (societal) tension as well,” Herzog told Yedioth Ahronoth.

Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country's history.

He also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where more than 52,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.