Netanyahu’s formal pardon request to President Isaac Herzog, submitted in late 2025, remains under review amid his ongoing corruption trial that began in 2020. Recent testimony by former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in mid-October 2026, which defense lawyers used to highlight alleged investigative shortcomings and unapproved police actions, prompted Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and other coalition figures to publicly urge clemency. Herzog has historically prioritized post-verdict requests or plea negotiations and has previously explored mediation rather than an immediate pardon. The trial’s accelerated five-day schedule and lack of any conviction or admission of guilt continue to shape expectations, with traders pricing in significant procedural and institutional barriers to a swift grant of clemency before scheduled deadlines.