President Isaac Herzog and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced the expansion of the use of presidential pardon powers, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the status quo of the State of Israel.
Under the new policy, special attention will be paid to clemency for prisoners over the age of 75; disabled soldiers; veterans and those who have contributed to the security of the country; and adults convicted of crimes such as juveniles who have shown they have been rehabilitated.
The announcement comes days before Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, and is part of the Jewish law culture of mercy for offenders who make peace.
“Amnesty in the case of a special national occasion is a known culture in many societies and in Israel,” Herzog said, noting that the graces bestowed are beyond stages in the approach to Israel’s history.
“I also ask to be part of this tradition, to celebrate the values that are for us and to attend the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel, an opportunity to move forward and give the opportunity to stop, practice and see other people that I might not see enough,” he added.
The new framework evolved in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice. Requests for clemency under the new regulations can be made until May 13, 2024, the day before Israel’s 76th Independence Day.
On the policy, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar touted his cooperation with Herzog on the issue and said he and the president shared values.
“A humane society, and in my opinion largely a Jewish society, is measured through its ability to forgive even those who have damaged its values and ethical foundations,” Sa’ar said.
Pardons will be subject to the submission of a request for clemency by the defendant and will specifically address the main points of the case, as well as the opinion of the Minister of Justice. As a general rule, pardons shall not be granted to prisoners convicted of homicide or culpable homicide, security offences, sexual offences and those whose offences fall under military jurisdiction.
The gravity of the offence and the cases in which it was committed, the nature of the penalty, the length of detention, the repeated offence and participation in reparation and rehabilitation proceedings shall be taken into account.
The normal formula of presidential pardon for all prisoners will continue as usual.
Last September, the Jewish holidays, Herzog announced that he would pay special attention to foot soldiers who committed crimes in their teens and were rehabilitated from their military service.
In December, Herzog followed a stricter clemency policy with sex offenders, perpetrators of domestic violence and traffic offenders, while adopting less stringent rules for those convicted of soft drugs.
Stuart Winer contributed to this report.
Do you depend on The Times of Israel for accurate and insightful facts about Israel and the Jewish world?If so, sign up for The Times of Israel community. For as little as $6 a month, you:
That’s why we introduced The Times of Israel ten years ago: to provide discerning readers like you with the must-have politics of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other media outlets, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become vital to help our paintings join the Times of Israel community.
For just $6 a month, you can help our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, and access exclusive content only for members of The Times of Israel community.
Thank you, David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel.