Benjamin Netanyahu seeks pardon from Israel's president
Newshour
BBC
4.2 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 30 November 2025
⏱️ 47 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been facing a long-running corruption trial, has submitted an official request to the country's president to pardon him. Mr Netanyahu, who denies wrongdoing, released a two and a half minute video saying that a presidential pardon would advance much needed national reconciliation, but he added that he'd be happy to continue with the trial.
Also in the programme: The extraordinary story of a woman who survived torture in Iraq; Nigerian troops have rescued twelve young women who were abducted from their homes in Borno State by suspected Islamic State fighters last week; and 'Paddington the musical' hits the stage in London's West End.
(Photo: Netanyahu said a pardon would lead to national reconciliation in Israel. Credit: EPA)
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:09.6 | Hello, welcome to Newsare. It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service studios in central London. I'm Tim Franks. |
| 0:17.1 | We're beginning with the news that the Israeli Prime Minister, Binium Netanyahu, has requested a pardon from the country's president, Isaac Herzog. |
| 0:24.9 | Mr. Netanyahu has been on trial for the past five years on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. |
| 0:32.6 | This request for a pardon has not come out of the blue. |
| 0:36.6 | Mr. President, why don't you give him a pardon? |
| 0:43.9 | Donald Trump making the call six weeks ago, |
| 0:47.0 | as he turned to a rather bemuse-looking Isaac Herzog |
| 0:49.8 | listening to Mr. Trump during the U.S. President's brief visit |
| 0:53.1 | to the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem. |
| 0:55.1 | Mr. Trump followed up his request with a letter to President Herzog a couple of weeks ago. |
| 1:00.0 | Isaac Herzog politely pointed out that for the Israeli President's office to consider a pardon, |
| 1:04.3 | the request had to come from the person seeking that pardon. |
| 1:08.8 | Well, today it has. |
| 1:10.2 | Biniam bin Netanyahu himself put out a two-minute-long |
| 1:12.7 | video statement explaining why he'd done so, among the reasons, this. |
| 1:17.5 | The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within. |
| 1:30.1 | Fueling divisions, deepening rifts. |
| 1:38.0 | I am certain, as are many others, that an immediate conclusion of the trial will greatly help to lower the flames and promote the broad reconciliation our country so badly needs. |
| 1:43.4 | Ashul Feffer is IsraeliIsrael correspondent for the economist. |
| 1:47.7 | Anshel, very good to have you on Newsare. |
| 1:50.7 | That's part of the reason. |
... |
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