Leaks about a "secret deal" between Netanyahu and Herzog.. a businessman talks about "amnesty" in exchange for the presidency

Herzog feared Netanyahu would nominate another Likud party figure who enjoyed right-wing support.

The "Israeli" businessman and strategic consultant, Moti Sander, dropped a heavy political bombshell by revealing the existence of a "secret deal" concluded five years ago between the president of the occupation state, Isaac Herzog, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Sander's claim, this deal stipulated Netanyahu's support for Herzog's election as president in exchange for the latter granting Netanyahu a presidential pardon that would prevent his prosecution in the corruption cases attributed to him.

Moti Sander is an influential figure in the political circles of the occupation, having led successful election campaigns for prominent figures such as Ehud Barak, and has close ties with both Netanyahu and Herzog.

The revelation of this information came in an interview with Hebrew media, where Sander confirmed that he was Herzog's messenger to Netanyahu to propose this offer.

According to the details provided by Sander, Netanyahu and his wife Sara faced significant pressure to accept the deal to avoid imprisonment.

Sander recounted a moving scene in which Sara Netanyahu cried before her husband convinced her that this move was in their best interest.

Herzog feared that Netanyahu would nominate another Likud party figure who enjoyed right-wing support, or that Netanyahu himself would run for president to stop his prosecution process according to the law.

Sander explained that he decided to reveal this "scandal" now because Herzog went too far in trying to appease Netanyahu with a pardon that does not include admitting guilt or waiving the sentence, which Sander considered a crime against the purity of governance.

He affirmed that he is in favor of granting a pardon and stopping the trial that harms Israel, but on the condition that Netanyahu admits his guilt and completely retires from political life.

For its part, President Herzog's office strongly denied these allegations, emphasizing key points:

Denial of the deal: There was no agreement or understanding, whether explicit or implicit, linking the presidential elections to Netanyahu's legal files.

Pardon request: Any pardon request will only be processed according to the law and with the recommendation of the Pardon Department in the Ministry of Justice.

Sander's refutation: Herzog expressed his regret for what his friend Sander said, and rejected his claims, describing them as false and defamatory.

In contrast, the Likud party accused Sander of lying, while the latter responded that the attempt by Herzog's men to question his mental faculties under the pretext of "Alzheimer's" is a despicable attempt to tarnish his reputation and hide the truth.

These leaks place the presidency and the government in an embarrassing position before public opinion and the judiciary.

With the widening gap of mutual denial, the question remains about the extent of the impact of these allegations on the course of Netanyahu's cases pending before the courts, and whether they will lead to new investigations into suspicions of abuse of influence to immunize officials from legal accountability.