Above photo: Oren Ben Hakoon/Flash90.
The prime minister has been repeatedly accused of prolonging the Gaza war to avoid prosecution on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
The Jerusalem District Court rejected on 13 November a request made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to delay his testimony in his corruption trial by 10 weeks.
The court said the premier has already had five months to prepare for his testimony, which is scheduled for 2 December.
“We were not convinced that a substantial change in circumstances has occurred which would justify a change to the date we set in our [original] decision.” As a result, Netanyahu will be forced to take the stand.
Hours prior to the court ruling, a representative of the Israeli State Attorney’s Office, Yehudit Tirosh, said the “prime minister can’t dictate the schedule for his trial and testimony.”
The premier’s defense attorney Amit Hadad argued that Netanyahu has been busy managing the war.
“Netanyahu is managing the entire war, and there are weeks when we can’t meet with him. How can this be ignored? Do we not want a PM whose head is entirely in managing the war?” the lawyer said.
“We’ve done so much to prepare for this testimony. Meetings have been canceled or postponed when other things come first,” he added.
He also rejected the prosecution’s claim that delaying the trial violates the principle of equality under law, and added that Netanyahu should not have to testify without preparing properly. The prime minister’s criminal trial is now approaching the end of its fourth year.
Netanyahu’s legal team filed the request for delay at the Jerusalem District Court earlier this week, arguing that certain security incidents occurred during the time in which the premier was supposed to prepare, making the testimony impossible.
After the start of the war in October last year, Netanyahu’s trial was put on hold before resuming in early December 2023.
The Israeli prime minister has been accused of and charged with fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate cases filed in 2019. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Many, including Israelis opposed to the premier and his policies, have accused Netanyahu of seeking to prolong the war in Gaza in order to avoid trial and potential imprisonment.
The court’s rejection of Netanyahu’s delay request comes a week after it was revealed in Hebrew media that the prime minister’s office is facing new criminal investigations, which have been ongoing for several months.
“The police’s Lahav 433 investigation unit is conducting a criminal probe related to incidents from the start of the war, including several open investigations,” a police statement said, adding that further details remain under gag order and are barred from publication.
The probes relate to alleged efforts made by the prime minister’s office to edit the minutes of war-related meetings. Earlier this year, senior figures in the security establishment were reportedly concerned about the matter after discovering gaps and discrepancies between the meeting transcripts and what they had heard first-hand during the gatherings.