The dispute within Netanyahu's inner circle over plea deal negotiations
Netanyahu's attorneys argue that his legal interest lies in cooperating with the process initiated by President Herzog • Sara and Yair Netanyahu believe: He must not show up for talks at the President's Residence - Herzog is trying to stall and avoid granting a pardon
By Yaron Avraham
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to respond to President Isaac Herzog regarding the initiative to hold talks on a plea agreement regarding his criminal trial. This follows sharp disagreements that have emerged on the issue between his defense team and members of his family.
After the Attorney General announced at the last minute that she accepts the president’s initiative to discuss a plea deal without harming the progress of the trial, Netanyahu has refrained from making a decision. At the center of the dispute is the recommendation of the prime minister’s lawyers, led by attorney Amit Hadad, who believe Netanyahu’s legal interest is to attend the talks at the President’s Residence. The lawyers explained to Netanyahu that even if the president ultimately decides to grant him a pardon, he would still need to demonstrate in proceedings before the High Court of Justice that “all avenues have been exhausted on his part” - both within the courtroom and outside it, including mediation efforts.
Family opposition
On the other hand, his wife Sara and his son Yair believe that Netanyahu should not attend talks at the President’s Residence. The family, along with some of the prime minister’s advisers, argue that President Herzog is using the talks to “stall for time” and avoid a genuine discussion on the issue of a pardon. According to their view, the president is acting this way to deflect criticism and pressure from U.S. President Trump.
“If Herzog truly wanted to reach a plea deal, he would have done so long ago”, sources close to the family claim. In their view, the president would not have waited for the pardon process to drag on before calling on Netanyahu and the prosecution to enter talks. Due to these conflicting positions, the prime minister has yet to make a decision, even though the deadline set by the president has already passed.