Israeli prosecutors have resumed the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following Israeli Minister of Justice Yaris Levin’s termination of the country’s state of emergency status on December 1. The court proceedings had been placed on hold since September 20, on account of Rosh Hashanah, and later due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Netanyahu was first indicted in November 2019 in three separate cases known as 4000, 2000, and 1000. Cases 4000 and 2000 pertained to allegations of bribery and breach of trust. Meanwhile, Case 1000 involved accusations of Netanyahu accepting gifts, constituting another breach of trust violation.
In a recent development, the plea made by Netanyahu’s defense for a continuance of the trial was denied. This decision was made in light of some of the defense team members being conscripted into the Israeli Defence Forces due to the ongoing war. However, the courts did approve a separate motion to reduce the number of weekly hearings from three to two due to Netanyahu’s inability to prepare for key witness testimonies amid the conflict.
It is worth noting that these rulings mean the court will not simultaneously examine testimonies related to Cases 1000 and 2000 alongside Case 4000. Amit Hadad, Netanyahu’s lawyer, reiterated the importance of coordinating testimonies with the Prime Minister, which is currently impractical in light of the ongoing war.
Despite these serious allegations, Netanyahu continues to deny any wrongdoing, asserting the charges are politically motivated fabrications by the police. He has refused to abandon his post and argues that he could continue serving as Prime Minister while standing trial. Israeli Justice Minister Dodi Amsalem recently criticised the resumption of the trial amidst the ongoing conflict.
Original news, as reported by the Jurist.