New Delhi, Nov. 30 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (November 30 formally asked President Isaac Herzog to grant him a pardon from ongoing corruption charges in a bid to halt a six-year trial.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said the request was driven by national interest, not personal gain.

"The State of Israel is facing enormous challenges," he said. "The continuation of the trial is tearing us apart from within, arousing fierce divisions, intensifying rifts."

His office confirmed that a detailed letter from his lawyer and a personal letter had been submitted to the president's legal department. Herzog's office called it an "extraordinary request" carrying "significant implications."

Netanyahu argued that the r...