The prosecution in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has agreed to hold talks on a “suitable plea bargain,” the attorney general’s office informed President Isaac Herzog’s legal adviser on Sunday.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Aisman “appreciate the honorable president’s efforts” to reach a deal, and are willing to negotiate “provided there are no preconditions, and without detracting from the trial’s progress,” they said in a letter signed by an assistant to Baharav-Miara.

“At the present time we will not address additional issues including the format of the discussion, the nature of discussion and its location,” the letter said.

Netanyahu’s lawyers have yet to respond to last week’s invitation from Herzog’s legal adviser Michal Tzuk to try and hash out “agreements” at the President’s Residence.

Tzuk stated in a letter that an “arrangement” would be in the interest of the country, and noted that the president had publicly expressed this position several times.

She asked them to reply to the invitation by May 3.

Also last week, Herzog said he would not currently grant Netanyahu’s request for a pardon and would instead seek to mediate a plea deal in the trial.

Herzog has held off on granting Netanyahu a pardon despite immense pressure........

© The Times of Israel