This week, as Netanyahu's long-delayed trial resumed in Tel Aviv, the prime minister's focus appeared not on his day in court but on a behind-the-scenes campaign to avoid it altogether, citing his need to lead Israel's military operations. The timing raises critical questions about whether prolonging conflict has become a strategic tool for personal political survival.

Netanyahu's formal pardon petition, a 111-page document submitted to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, argues that the prime minister must be freed from the legal process to effectively manage Israel's wars in Gaza and on other fronts. This request represents a dramatic reversal for a leader who long insisted the charges would collapse and he would be vindicated. He now claims the "public interest dictates" a pardon, despite offering no admission of guilt. Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the move, stating, "You cannot grant Netanyahu a pardon without an admission of guilt, an expression of remorse, and an immediate withdrawal from political life."

The plot thickened with the revelation of a Monday phone call between Netanyahu and Donald Trump, detailed in an Axios report. According to sources, Netanyahu pleaded for "more support" from Trump to pressure Herzog for the pardon. This follows a formal letter Trump sent last month urging Herzog to issue a "full pardon" for Netanyahu, whom he called a "formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister." Trump reportedly told Netanyahu he believed the pardon "will work out," but a U.S. official indicated the president felt he had "done all he can do."

A wartime shield for corruption charges

Critics see Netanyahu's pivot to a pardon request as a transparent attempt to use wartime leadership as a shield against accountability. The corruption trial, which began in 2020, was paused for around two years following the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023. Its resumption now poses a direct threat to Netanyahu's political future. By tying his legal fate to his role as a wartime leader, he frames any legal proceeding as a national security liability. Far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir backed this, calling a pardon "critical for the security of the state."

This strategy aligns with a broader pattern observed for years. As detailed in extensive reporting on Israel's political trajectory, Netanyahu is a fervent believer in indefinite occupation and has long sold Israel's model of militarized ethnonationalism. His legal battles have consistently dovetailed with his political messaging, portraying himself as an indispensable leader under siege from left-wing institutions and the courts. The pardon request amplifies this narrative, positioning him above the judicial system.