Netanyahu makes a high-stakes bid to end his corruption trial
MILES PARKS, HOST:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants an end to his nearly six-year corruption trial. He says he's innocent, and he's asked Israel's president to grant him a pardon, quote, "for the good of the people and the country." President Trump has also called for a pardon for Netanyahu. For more, let's bring in NPR's Daniel Estrin who joins us now from Tel Aviv. Hi, Daniel.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: Hey, Miles.
PARKS: So Netanyahu's been fighting these bribery charges in court for years. Why is he asking for a pardon now?
ESTRIN: Well, it's really a pivotal moment for him. He's facing an election year coming up next year. He's facing a lot of discontent at home. There are calls in Israel to launch an official inquiry to hold him accountable for the security failures of the Hamas attack, October 7, 2023. And at the same time, his corruption trial has shifted into higher gear. For the past month, he has been summoned to court to testify three times a week instead of the usual two days a week. And he says three days a week is just impossible when he's trying to lead the country at this critical moment. So that's why he's asking Israel's president for a pardon, even before his trial is over and without admitting guilt.
PARKS: How likely is it that that pardon will actually be granted?
ESTRIN: It could very well happen. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has been calling for Netanyahu to reach a deal with justice officials for a long time. I spoke with Yohanan Plesner, who's the head of the nonpartisan Israel Democracy Institute, and he said Netanyahu has been considering a kind of plea deal for a while.
YOHANAN PLESNER: Netanyahu knows, I think, for the past few years that if he wants to suspend or end this legal proceeding, the option is his. He can assume responsibility, express regret and retire, and he can end this legal process. But he's not interested in that.
ESTRIN: What he's interested in is staying in power, and if he is convicted of bribery and the other charges, it could mean the end of his political career. This is really an issue that is polarizing the country. There's a new poll out today that shows about half of Israelis who were questioned do not support a pardon for Netanyahu, and the other half either does support a pardon or doesn't know.
PARKS: Well, at the same time, there's also been an escalation in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. A few days ago, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians there after they had already surrendered. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
ESTRIN: Yes. This was an incident that was caught on video. In the video, you see two Palestinian men. They come out of a garage holding their hands up and lifting their shirts up to show they're unarmed, and Israeli forces order them to their knees. They comply. And then gunshots ring out, and the men slump to the ground. One Israeli soldier can be seen firing a weapon in the videos. Now, in a statement, the Israeli military said the two men, the two Palestinians, were wanted individuals and that the incident was being investigated. Israeli media are reporting that authorities did question the forces involved and that they said they were acting out of self defense, and they were released from questioning. Israel's far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who's in charge of the police, praised the forces for killing the Palestinians. And the U.N.'s Human Rights office said it was appalled at what it called another apparent summary execution in the West Bank.
PARKS: NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv, thank you so much.
ESTRIN: You're welcome.
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