Netanyahu corruption trials: What are the charges and will he be pardoned?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally requested a pardon from President Isaac Herzog to end his ongoing corruption cases. 

Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases launched in 2019. 

The longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history, he is also the first to be criminally charged while in office, and could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. 

Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing and has branded the corruption allegations a “witch-hunt” led by his political opponents.

He also called for “national unity” amid Israel’s wars, which many accused him of prolonging to divert attention from his charges. 

Even if he escapes jail, a conviction on only one of the charges would likely see Netanyahu barred from public office. 

But proceedings have stalled for years amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza, for which Netanyahu faces separate charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. 

Netanyahu has faced allegations of corruption before, which he denied, although none reached court (see below).

But in November 2019, he was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

He now faces three separate cases, all being heard in a single trial process: Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000.

Here’s how they break down.

Case 1000: What are the allegations against Netanyahu?

In Case 1000, often called the “gifts affair”, Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust.

It alleges that he received a series of gifts from Arnon Milchan, a former Mossad agent turned billionaire Hollywood film producer (who produced Pretty Woman and 12 Years a Slave); and James Packer, an Australian billionaire, in exchange for political favours.

Milchan is alleged to have given gifts, including cigars for Netanyahu and champagne for Sara Netanyahu, valued at more than 700,000 shekels (around $200,000).  

It’s alleged that in return, Netanyahu pushed for a lower marginal tax law for wealthy expat Israelis, and urged the US to reinstate Milchan’s visa. 

Packer told Australian police in 2017 that the Netanyahu family “demanded” gifts. Milchan testified to an Israeli court in June 2023 that he regularly provided gifts to the Netanyahus. Aides to the Netanyahus have also testified about the gifts. 

The Netanyahus, along with Milchan and Packer, deny any wrongdoing. Of the four, only the prime minister is facing trial. 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, testifying in Case 1000 in June 2023, told the court that he spoke with Netanyahu about a tax law that would benefit Milchan on two occasions. 

Milchan, testifying via vide0-link from the UK that same month, did not deny giving Netanyahu gifts. 

Case 2000: What are the allegations against Netanyahu?

Case 2000 also charges Netanyahu with fraud and breach of trust. 

It alleges that between 2008 and 2014, he struck deals with Arnon Mozes, the publisher of the Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, for favourable coverage. 

In exchange, the prosecution says that Netanyahu offered to pass legislation that would limit the circulation of the newspaper’s main rival, Israel Hayom. 

Netanyahu is not alleged to have followed through on the promise. Mozes is also charged with attempted bribery. 

Much of the prosecution relies on a recording of a meeting, in which Mozes tells Netanyahu: “Assuming there will be a law that you and I have agreed upon, I will do my utmost best that you stick around for as long as you want to."

When this was read to him in court in March 2025, Netanyahu said he had not interpreted Mozes’ statement as a bribe. 

“I never took this as bribery,” Netanyahu told the court. “I saw it as a general statement that he would try to get to it, not at all something specific. I didn’t take it that seriously, nor did anybody else.”

Case 4000: What are the allegations against Netanyahu?

Case 4000 is the most serious case against Netanyahu. It includes a bribery charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, although it also demands a stronger burden of proof

It’s alleged that Netanyahu committed fraud, breach of trust and bribery by granting regulatory favours to the Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq, then owned by Shaul and Iris Elovitch.  These include approving a merger between Bezeq and satellite company Yes in 2015.

In return, it is alleged that the Elovitches permitted Netanyahu to direct coverage on Walla, a news website they owned. Shaul Elovitch, who is also on trial for bribery and fraud, denies wrongdoing.

In court, Netanyahu has said that he does not remember signing documents approving bonds for Bezeq’s parent company, Bcom, in 2014. 

So has Netanyahu faced accusations before?

Yes, on several occasions. But they have never progressed as far as the current cases.

1997: It was alleged that Netanyahu had appointed Roni Bar-On as attorney general to secure a favourable plea bargain for Aryeh Deri, an ultra-Orthodox Shas minister indicted on corruption charges whose political support Netanyahu needed. Netanyahu never faced formal charges, and denied criminal wrongdoing.

2001: After losing the general election, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were recommended for prosecution by Israeli police over alleged bribery, fraud and theft related to renovations of their private residences while in office. The Netanyahus denied the allegations. Israeli Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein declined to prosecute, saying that he did not foresee ''a reasonable chance of conviction''.

2011: Following a report by Israeli Channel 10, Netanyahu and his family were accused of using state funds to finance personal trips, as well as taking donations from private businessmen to fund foreign travel, while he was minister of finance from 2003 to 2005. He was eventually questioned over the matter in 2016 by State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, who demanded a probe into the trip. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit declined to prosecute.

2015: In what became known as Case 1270, it was alleged that in 2015 an associate of Netanyahu offered to appoint then district court president Hila Gerstel as attorney general if a criminal investigation against his wife Sara was dropped. The investigation was closed in 2019, when the police said they had relied on incorrect evidence.

2016: Arnaud Mimran, a businessman convicted of defrauding the French state of €282m, testified in a French court that he covertly gave €1m to Netanyahu’s 2001 election campaign, as well as holidays and luxury watches. Netanyahu denied receiving this amount, which exceeded Israeli campaign donation limits. He did however admit to receiving $40,000 from Mimran while out of office in 2001. He was never charged.

2024: Case 3000, dubbed the “Submarine Affair”, alleged that senior Israeli officials within Netanyahu’s inner circle received illicit kickbacks for a $2bn deal to purchase naval vessels from German company ThyssenKrupp. 

Netanyahu was not an official suspect in the case, but received a warning notice from the State Commission of Enquiry in 2024, stating that he could be adversely affected by its findings. 

What’s happened to Netanyahu in court?

First preliminary hearings were heard in May 2020 after a bid from Netanyahu’s defence to delay proceedings was rejected by the panel of three judges overseeing the cases. 

Netanyahu was present at the first hearing alongside the Mozes and the Elovitches, but was exempted from appearing at most other preliminary hearings over security concerns.

Witness testimony began in April 2021, continuing into 2022, when reports emerged of how police used sophisticated spyware on a key witness for the prosecution. 

Netanyahu cast the alleged phone-hacking as a desperate act of overreach by those attempting to bring him down.

In November 2024, Netanyahu attempted to avoid giving testimony by asking the internal security agency Shin Bet to intervene on his behalf.

Director Ronen Bar told the court in March 2025: "Throughout November 2024, the prime minister repeatedly demanded that I issue a security opinion that would effectively determine that the current security conditions prevent his continuous testimony in his criminal trial."

Netanyahu made his first appearance for cross-examination on 10 December 2024. Further hearings that month were delayed while he underwent surgery.

His cross-examination finally began in June 2025, with testimony on Case 1000 lasting up until November 2025. He is officially required to attend court for four days each week, despite his protestations over security concerns.

The prosecution has attempted to undermine Netanyahu’s credibility as a witness who claimed he didn’t remember relevant events on 1,778 occasions during police interrogations. 

At the time of writing, Netanyahu’s cross-examination in court has moved onto Case 4000. 

How has Israel reacted to the corruption charges?

Netanyahu’s corruption trials have divided Israeli society. 

Discontent spiked in early 2023, when the Netanyahu government announced a controversial judicial reform package to drastically curb the power of the judiciary, sparking mass protests across Israel. 

The reforms would give parliament the power to override Supreme Court decisions through a majority vote, and de facto control over court nominees.

Netanyahu was barred by the attorney general from involvement in the process due to a conflict of interest with his corruption cases. 

The most significant reform, which would allow the government to override the Supreme Court veto power, was itself struck down by the Supreme Court in January 2024.  Instead the proposals were led by Likud Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin.

Critics, including human rights groups, said the reforms would weaken Israel’s rule of law at a pivotal moment - the prime minister’s corruption trial - while further jeopardising the rights of Palestinians.  

But following the Hamas-led attacks on 7 October 2023, public attention was dominated by the genocide in Gaza.

Critics of Netanyahu have accused him of prolonging Israel’s genocide in Gaza, in which more 70,000 Palestinians have been killed,  to distract from his corruption trials. 

Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies, along with many of their supporters, have remained loyal. Bezalel Smotrich, finance minister, said on X on 30 November that Netanyahu had  “been persecuted for years by a corrupt judicial system that fabricated political cases against him”. 

A poll by Channel 12 News on 30 November found that  38 percent of Israelis supported pardoning Netanyahu.

What about Netanyahu’s hopes of a pardon?

In November 2025, Trump formally requested Netanyahu’s pardon from Herzog, having raised it while addressing the Israeli parliament the previous month.

Trump wrote: “While I absolutely respect the independence of the Israeli Justice System, and its requirements, I believe that this 'case' against Bibi [Netanyahu], who has fought alongside me for a long time, including against the very tough adversary of Israel, Iran, is a political, unjustified prosecution."

On 30 November, Netanyahu’s lawyers wrote to President Herzog to formally request a pardon in a 111-page legal request.

A statement from Herzog’s office said: “The office of the president is aware that this is an extraordinary request which carries with it significant implications.

“After receiving all of the relevant opinions, the president will responsibly and sincerely consider the request.”

What's likely to happen next?

Netanyahu wants the corruption cases to go away as fast as possible, not least because he faces a general election within a year on 27 October 2026.

A presidential pardon before conviction is without precedent in Israeli law, not least for a sitting prime minister. 

Doing so would set a precedent that Israeli civil society watchdogs have flagged as a threat to the rule of law. 

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned after corruption scandals from 2006-09, and was eventually sentenced to a 19-month prison sentence on bribery charges. 

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said on 30 November that there should be no pardon without Netanyahu admitting guilt, expressing remorse and retiring from public life.  

Others, such as former justice minister Haim Ramon, have ruled out the possibility of a pardon.

Ramon said on 1 December: “Since the chances of that are small - I’ll give you a spoiler - there will be no pardon, even if mountains of words and hundreds of thousands of articles are written.

“It is impossible to resolve this story at this moment without Netanyahu retiring from political life.”

Herzog could plausibly use Netanyahu’s request to secure political concessions from the prime minister, such as blocking his controversial media bill.

But if Netanyahu fails to secure a pardon and is found guilty on any of the charges, then he could be barred from public office.