President Herzog Waits to Decide on Mr. Netanyahu

Apr 26, 2026, 11:52
A2

President Herzog Waits to Decide on Mr. Netanyahu

Introduction

President Isaac Herzog will not decide on a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now. He wants to wait for a deal in court first.

Main Body

Mr. Netanyahu is in a legal trial. The police say he took money and lied. He says he did nothing wrong. This trial started in 2020. Mr. Netanyahu asked the President for a pardon. A pardon means the President stops the punishment. But the trial is not finished. The trial starts again this week. President Herzog wants a deal. A deal means both sides agree to stop the fight. Donald Trump wants the President to give a pardon. But the President is waiting. Israel had five elections between 2019 and 2022. This happened because of the legal problems. The next election is in October 2026.

Conclusion

The President wants a deal first. He will not give a pardon right now. The trial will continue.

Vocabulary Learning

deal (n.)
agreement / an arrangement between two or more people協議；交易
Example:The two companies signed a deal to work together.
decide (v.)
choose / to make a choice after thinking決定；下定決心
Example:I need to decide what to eat for lunch today.
election (n.)
vote / a time when people vote to choose a leader選舉
Example:Many people went to vote in the national election.
pardon (n.)
forgiveness / an official decision to not punish someone赦免；原諒
Example:The prisoner hoped to receive a pardon from the leader.
trial (n.)
court case / a process in a court to decide if someone is guilty審訊；審判
Example:The trial will last for two weeks.

Sentence Learning

President Isaac Herzog will not decide on a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now.
Time Marker: The word 'now' shows the time of the action.時間標記：'now' 一詞顯示動作發生的時間。
The police say he took money and lied.
Basic Connector (and): The word 'and' connects two actions the police say.基本連接詞 (and)：'and' 一詞連接警方所說的兩個行為。
This trial started in 2020.
Time Preposition (in): The phrase 'in 2020' tells when the trial started.時間介詞 (in)：'in 2020' 這個短語說明審判開始的時間。
But the trial is not finished.
Contrast Connector (but): The word 'but' shows a contrast between a pardon and the unfinished trial.對比連接詞 (but)：'but' 一詞顯示赦免與未完成的審判之間的對比。
This happened because of the legal problems.
Reason Connector (because of): The phrase 'because of' explains the reason for the elections.原因連接詞 (because of)：'because of' 這個短語解釋了選舉的原因。
B2

President Herzog Delays Decision on Prime Minister Netanyahu's Pardon Request

Introduction

President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will wait to consider Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon. The President stated that this decision will be postponed until all options for a plea agreement in the Prime Minister's corruption trial have been fully explored.

Main Body

Benjamin Netanyahu is the first sitting prime minister in Israel's history to face criminal charges, including fraud, bribery, and breach of trust. These legal issues began with investigations ten years ago and led to a formal indictment in 2019. Despite these charges, Mr. Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations. In November, the Prime Minister submitted a formal request for a pardon. Although Israeli law allows the president to pardon convicted people, there is no previous legal example of granting a pardon while a trial is still happening. The trial began in 2020 and is expected to resume this week. President Herzog emphasized that a settlement outside of court would be the best solution. Furthermore, reports suggest that the presidency may help organize mediation for a plea bargain. While the President's office refused to give more details and the Prime Minister's office has not responded, external pressure remains high. For instance, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged for a pardon. Meanwhile, these legal battles have contributed to political instability, resulting in five elections between 2019 and 2022.

Conclusion

The presidency has decided to prioritize a plea agreement over an immediate pardon, ensuring that the legal process continues as the trial restarts.

Vocabulary Learning

allegation (n.)
claim / a statement, made without giving proof, that someone has done something wrong or illegal指控；聲稱
Example:The company denied the allegations of unfair treatment of its employees.
instability (n.)
uncertainty / a state in which things are not steady and can change suddenly and unexpectedly不穩；動盪
Example:Economic instability can lead to a decrease in consumer spending.
mediation (n.)
negotiation / the process by which someone tries to end a disagreement by talking to the people involved調解；斡旋
Example:The two companies entered mediation to resolve their dispute over the contract.
postpone (v.)
delay / to decide that something will not be done at the time when it was planned for延期；推遲
Example:The meeting was postponed until next week due to the bad weather.
prioritize (v.)
rank / to decide which of a group of things are the most important so that you can deal with them first優先處理；確定優先次序
Example:You need to prioritize your tasks to ensure the most urgent ones are completed first.

Sentence Learning

The President stated that this decision will be postponed until all options for a plea agreement in the Prime Minister's corruption trial have been fully explored.
Passive Voice: The passive voice ("will be postponed" and "have been explored") is used to focus on the decision and actions rather than the agent, maintaining a formal tone.被動語態: 此處使用被動語態（「will be postponed」及「have been explored」）將焦點放在決定和行動而非執行者，以保持正式語調。
Despite these charges, Mr. Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations.
Linking Word - Contrast: "Despite" is used to introduce a contrast, followed by a noun phrase, showing that the denial continues regardless of the charges.連接詞 - 對比: 「Despite」（儘管）用於引出對比，後接名詞短語，表示無論指控如何，否認仍在持續。
Although Israeli law allows the president to pardon convicted people, there is no previous legal example of granting a pardon while a trial is still happening.
Conjunction of Concession: "Although" introduces a factual concession, creating a complex sentence structure that balances legal possibility with historical reality.讓步連詞: 「Although」（雖然）引導一個事實讓步，構建了一個平衡法律可能性與歷史現實的複合句結構。
While the President's office refused to give more details and the Prime Minister's office has not responded, external pressure remains high.
Subordinating Conjunction: "While" functions as a connector to show contrast between the lack of official communication and the ongoing external pressure.從屬連詞: 「While」（儘管）作為連接詞，用以顯示官方缺乏溝通與持續的外界壓力之間的對比。
The presidency has decided to prioritize a plea agreement over an immediate pardon, ensuring that the legal process continues as the trial restarts.
Present Participle Clause: The phrase starting with "ensuring" acts as a resultative clause, providing additional information about the consequence of the main action.現在分詞短句: 以「ensuring」開頭的短語作為結果子句，提供了關於主句行動之結果的補充資訊。
C2

President Herzog Defers Decision on Prime Minister Netanyahu's Pardon Request Pending Plea Negotiations

Introduction

President Isaac Herzog has announced that he will postpone consideration of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request for a pardon until all possibilities for a plea agreement in the Prime Minister's corruption trial have been explored.

Main Body

The current legal proceedings involve charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust against Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the first active prime minister in Israeli history to face criminal charges. These legal challenges originated from investigations conducted approximately ten years ago, leading to an indictment in 2019. Mr. Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations. Regarding the procedural status of the case, the Prime Minister submitted a formal request for a pardon in November. While Israeli statutes grant the presidency the power to pardon convicted individuals, there is no established legal precedent for granting such a pardon while a trial is still in progress. The trial, which commenced in 2020, is scheduled to resume this week. President Herzog has indicated that an out-of-court settlement represents the optimal resolution. This position follows reports suggesting the presidency may facilitate mediation for a plea bargain. When queried about the existence of active negotiations, the President's office declined to provide further details beyond the official statement, and the Prime Minister's office has not issued a response. External diplomatic pressure has been noted, as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly advocated for the granting of a pardon, including an instance in March during a period when the trial was suspended. Domestically, the legal proceedings have coincided with significant political instability, contributing to five separate elections between 2019 and 2022. The subsequent general election is scheduled for late October 2026.

Conclusion

The presidency has prioritized the pursuit of a plea agreement over the immediate consideration of a pardon, ensuring that the legal process continues as the trial resumes.

Vocabulary Learning

defer (v.)
postpone / to delay an action or event until a later time推遲；延期
Example:The committee decided to defer the final decision until more evidence was presented.
facilitate (v.)
expedite / to make an action or process easy or easier促進；便利
Example:The new software was designed to facilitate better communication between departments.
indictment (n.)
accusation / a formal charge or accusation of a serious crime起訴；控訴
Example:The grand jury handed down an indictment against the executive for securities fraud.
precedent (n.)
criterion / an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances先例；判例
Example:The judge's ruling set a legal precedent that will affect future privacy cases.
statute (n.)
ordinance / a written law passed by a legislative body法令；法規
Example:Under the current statute, the maximum penalty for this offense is ten years in prison.

Sentence Learning

The current legal proceedings involve charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust against Benjamin Netanyahu, who is the first active prime minister in Israeli history to face criminal charges.
Infinitive Post-modification: The use of the infinitive 'to face' following the ordinal 'the first' creates a concise adjectival structure within a non-restrictive relative clause.不定式後置修飾: 在序數詞 'the first' 後使用不定式 'to face'，在非限制性關係子句中構建了簡潔的形容詞結構。
While Israeli statutes grant the presidency the power to pardon convicted individuals, there is no established legal precedent for granting such a pardon while a trial is still in progress.
Concessive Subordinate Clause: The 'while' clause establishes a contrast between statutory power and the lack of precedent, using a complex gerund phrase 'for granting' to specify the legal scope.讓步從句: 'While' 引導的從句在法定權力與缺乏先例之間建立了對比，並使用複雜的動名詞短語 'for granting' 來界定法律範圍。
This position follows reports suggesting the presidency may facilitate mediation for a plea bargain.
Reduced Relative Clause: The present participle 'suggesting' functions as a reduced relative clause (replacing 'which suggest'), which increases lexical density and formal tone.縮減關係子句: 現在分詞 'suggesting' 起到縮減關係子句（取代 'which suggest'）的作用，增加了詞彙密度並提升了正式語氣。
External diplomatic pressure has been noted, as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly advocated for the granting of a pardon, including an instance in March during a period when the trial was suspended.
Temporal Relative Clause: The clause 'when the trial was suspended' provides specific chronological context to the noun 'period', nested within a complex prepositional structure.時間關係子句: 從句 'when the trial was suspended' 為名詞 'period' 提供了具體的時間背景，並嵌套在複雜的介詞結構中。
The presidency has prioritized the pursuit of a plea agreement over the immediate consideration of a pardon, ensuring that the legal process continues as the trial resumes.
Resultative Participial Phrase: The '-ing' phrase 'ensuring...' functions as a supplement to the main clause, indicating a simultaneous result or logical consequence of the action.結果分詞短語: '-ing' 短語 'ensuring...' 作為主要子句的補充，表示該動作的同時結果或邏輯後果。