The Israeli Justice Ministry has completed its legal review regarding the pardon request submitted on behalf of Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, according to a statement released by the office of the justice minister.

Officials said Justice Minister Yariv Levin decided not to handle the matter personally because of his longstanding personal and political relationship with Netanyahu, as well as the fact that he served as a witness in the prime minister’s trial. Levin is also widely viewed as the second-most senior figure in the Likud party, a circumstance that, according to sources within the legal system, could have prompted allegations of a conflict of interest and potentially delayed the process for months.

To avoid such claims and ensure the review proceeds without interruption, Levin instructed the pardons department to transfer the completed legal opinion to Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu. Eliyahu regularly oversees cases in which the justice minister is unable to participate and is a member of the Otzma Yehudit party.

Officials in the legal system said the move was intended to eliminate any possible future arguments that a recommendation might be invalid due to a conflict of interest, while allowing the process to continue in an orderly and timely manner.

The request will now proceed through the standard review process. Once that stage is completed, a recommendation will be submitted to the president of Israel, who holds the authority to make the final decision on the pardon application.

{Matzav.com}