“A very unusual request”: Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he would focus only on Israel’s “best interests” when he weighs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request for a pardon on corruption charges. Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House, Yossi Mekelberg argues, this is as much about the integrity of the judiciary, the separation of powers, and a deeply scarred nation, as it is about the soul of Israel’s democracy. “The idea that Netanyahu can actually continue to be prime minister while just stopping a corruption case is completely unacceptable,” asserts Mr. Mekelberg. If Herzog agrees to pardon, “he will probably compromise Israel’s liberal democracy and the independence of the judiciary.”
This story originally appeared on France24
Mekelberg: Netanyahu's pardon request threatens judicial independence & Israel as liberal democracy
