Israel hasn’t talked about the “war” in Gaza for many weeks. After all, there’s a ceasefire in place, is there not? The fact that more than 350 Palestinians, including more than 130 children, have been killed during this so-called “ceasefire” is neither here nor there, as is the fact that Israel killed them. Palestinians die because that is what Palestinians are there to do. There is nothing to discuss.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request, however, is another ball of wax. It is all anyone in Israel seems to be talking about, on every side of the political divide. Nothing better reflects the Netanyahu age (my daughter is 22, and she has barely experienced an Israel not led by Netanyahu). Those enraged by Netanyahu point out that it isn’t even a pardon request. The president of Israel (currently Isaac Herzog, a former head of the opposition to Netanyahu) has the legal authority to pardon “felons”. But felons are people who have been convicted in court of breaking the law. Netanyahu is still on trial.

There has only been one pardon given before conviction (before a trial, actually) in the history of Israel. It was granted to Shin Bet personnel who, in 1984, stormed a bus hijacked by Palestinians and beat two of the hijackers to death. The internal investigation into what came to be known as the Bus 300 affair was rigged by the leadership of Shin Bet. Two years later, an unprecedented deal was reached that not only pardoned the Shin Bet members accused — but never convicted — of the extrajudicial killings, but also allowed Shin Bet leaders who manipulated the investigation into the incident to resign without being indicted. Special security circumstances were cited. Netanyahu is basically asking to invoke those same circumstances.

Then again, he is not merely asking for a pardon. He is asking the president (a largely ceremonial role) to stop the trial in the interest of “national unity” and the “stupendous developments” expected (by Netanyahu) in the Middle........

© Al Jazeera