Netanyahu and the Line 300 bus
On April 12, 1984, four Palestinian militants hijacked an Israeli bus of line 300 with 35 passengers, most of them Jewish settlers, in the Gaza Strip. In the rescue operation, one soldier and two of the four hijackers died. The other two hijackers were captured alive and were executed shortly after by agents of the Shin Bet secret services.
The execution order was given by Avraham Shalom, director of the Shin Bet. At first, the Israeli authorities prohibited the media from disseminating the news, but, violating censorship, photojournalist Alex Levac, who is still active in the newspaper "Haaretz, published the image of the two hijackers alive after the military operation, that is, before their execution.
There was a scandal and Avraham Shalom resigned. Finally, an investigation was opened against those suspected of deciding and participating in the extrajudicial execution of the two militants, including Prime Minister Yitshaq Shamir, but President Chaim Herzog stopped the investigation when he pardoned all those involved.
That amnesty is today one of the central topics discussed in relation to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption cases. Many consider it an adequate precedent. They argue that the current president Isaac Herzog (son of the aforementioned former president Chaim Herzog) could pardon Netanyahu even before he is convicted by the court.
This week, the Department of Pardons, which depends on the presidency of the country, has responded to a query from President Herzog stating that a pardon is not appropriate, among other things because Netanyahu has not acknowledged the alleged crimes he has committed and has not formally repented, two requirements that the department considers essential.
Netanyahu's trial is quite advanced. The Prime Minister has always said he is innocent and, once again, public opinion is divided and polarized. Some say Herzog should pardon him for his merits as leader of Israel, while others consider that the trial should continue because Netanyahu claims he is not guilty and that there is no evidence against him. If so, the court will declare him innocent, and therefore, it is not necessary to suspend the trial, argue the opposition.
It must be said that Herzog and Netanyahu are in tune. A former collaborator of the president recalled a few weeks ago that Herzog was elected president of Israel in the Knesset with Netanyahu's support, and added that previously, that is, before the vote in the Knesset, Herzog expressly committed to helping Netanyahu from the presidency if he had the opportunity to do so, as is the case we are now dealing with.
In recent weeks, it has become known that Netanyahu wants to reach an agreement with Herzog so that in exchange for his amnesty, he does not have to leave political life immediately. One option being put on the table would involve allowing Netanyahu to run for election only once more. The next elections must be before the autumn of 2026.
The opinion of the Amnesty department is clear: the pardon of Netanyahu is not appropriate. But it is not a binding opinion, so Herzog can decide what he wants. The majority of Israelis believe that Herzog will grant the prime minister amnesty with some small limitation but without removing him from political life, at least immediately.