Benjamin Netanyahu submits request for pardon in corruption trial

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the president to grant him a pardon in his long-running corruption trial which has bitterly divided the country.Netanyahu, who has been at war against the country’s legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous changes in the region, but it immediately triggered denunciations from his opponents who said it would weaken Israel’s democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he is above the rule of law.In a statement on Sunday the prime minister’s office said Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President.