Case 4000

Benjamin Netanyahu has formally asked President Isaac Herzog for a pre-verdict pardon in his corruption trial, setting off a sensitive legal review with major political implications.

Officials stressed that President Isaac Herzog will consider the PM's request “responsibly and sincerely” once all legal materials are before him.

Prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh presses Prime Minister Netanyahu in Case 4000, questioning his stance on editorial influence and the importance of internet coverage.

Netanyahu denied he directed media coverage of his wife in Case 4000, rejecting prosecution claims and calling state witness accounts exaggerated during renewed cross-examination.

Netanyahu argued that while he focused on creating a more “diverse” media environment, he never refrained from routine conversations with journalists about coverage.

Case 4000 explores the Netanyahu's seeking favorable coverage in Israeli media, particularly their relationship with Bezeq owner Shaul Elovitch, who owned the Walla news site.

In an interview with Erin Molan on her podcast, "The Erin Molan Show", Netanyahu said that the cases against him "hurt both American and Israeli interests."

Prosecution cross-examined Netanyahu on prior statements he had made about documentation he claimed to have regarding the money he spent to purchase expensive cigars.

Between 2019 and 2024,  Surlik Einhorn’s company Perception transferred the money to a company that Levinson owned, the Israeli daily paper reported. 

The wording of the letter is careful in that it doesn't outright call for a pardon, but rather hints at Herzog's power to move the needle.