Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel has requested that the court to postpone giving testimony in the long-running corruption trial.
The trial was supposed to resume next week. The reason for requesting a postponement is the ongoing security situation in the region according to Netanyahu’s lawyer.
The trial of Netanyahu was set to resume on Sunday after the state of emergency was lifted by Israel due to its war with Iran following Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement.
According to the defense it was prepared to continue hearing the testimony of a prosecution witness.
The filing to the Jerusalem District Court said “Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected … to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks.”
The court was sent a sealed envelope detailing the classified reasons for Benjamin Netanyahu’s not being able to testify in court.
Netanyahu is the first Israeli Prime Minister to be charged with a crime. He has charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust brought against him in 2019. The charges were brought against him after years of investigations.
The trial finally began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms. The trial has been repeatedly delayed due to heightened security tensions and official commitments. It seems that there is no end in sight.
Netanyahu’s legitimacy has been damaged severely in Israel especially after Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and the charges against him.
He has the most far-right President Israel has ever had, the election in Israel is likely to be held in October and according to polls he is likely to lose.
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