Court twice rejects PM’s requests to delay trial testimony; lawyer cited diplomatic developments

The Jerusalem District Court on Friday twice rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s requests for a two-week hiatus in his graft trial after the State Attorney’s Office said it opposed the move.

In a statement, Justice Rivka Friedman-Feldman said an initial request, submitted by Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Hadad, “does not present a detailed basis or reason that might justify canceling evidentiary hearings.”

Hours after the rejection, the premier submitted a second request, but this time, along with a copy of his schedule for the next week as evidence for needing the hearings to be postponed.

The second request was also rejected later Friday, with the court ruling that “in the schedule presented to the court, there is no exceptional information, details or issues that would justify cancelling the sessions.”

The court did grant one concession, allowing the Monday session to start late at 11:30 a.m.

Hadad had argued Thursday that the premier required the two-week break to devote his time to “diplomatic, national and security issues of the first order,” in the wake of the recent war with Iran, which ended with a ceasefire earlier this week.

His motion came as reports abounded that Israel and the US were working on plans for a comprehensive deal to also end the war in Gaza as well as reach normalization agreements with further Arab countries, though there was no official confirmation of such developments.

In response to the request, the State Attorney’s Office had said that “The broad reasons detailed in the request cannot justify canceling two weeks of hearings, especially in the run-up to the [summer] recess, after the court already accepted previous requests from the defendant and slowed down the pace of the defendant’s questioning so that his testimony is heard only twice a week. The prosecutor opposes the request.”

Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases, facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing and says without evidence that all the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich fumed at the court and prosecutors for not agreeing to the request, stating that it showed “incredible detachment, to insist on being small people, lacking any vision, strategy or understanding of reality, and lacking discretion and minimal understanding of national priorities and interests.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said in a statement that the decision was “disconnected” and reiterated US President Donald Trump’s call on Wednesday to halt the trial entirely.

Firebrand Likud MK Tally Gotliv wrote on X that she had had “enough of the humiliating treatment” of the prime minister. She expressed hope that he would “preserve the resilience, glory, and power that you have brought to the State of Israel with God’s help.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi also labeled the judiciary as “disconnected.”

He also claimed that “Those who scared us over a war with Iran are those who are scaring us over reforms to the media and justice system.” It was not clear who he was referring to.

The request to cancel the proceedings came after Trump demanded a halt to the premier’s trial in a post on his Truth Social platform, calling it a “ridiculous witch hunt.”

A senior Israeli official later told the Kan public broadcaster that the post “wasn’t sent out for no reason,” adding: “It is part of a larger move that is meant to bring an end to the war in Gaza, the release of all the hostages, an end to Netanyahu’s trial, and a serious regional move.”

There are “discussions about dramatic moves in the Middle East,” senior Israeli officials told Channel 13.

While Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called on Trump to respect Israeli sovereignty and not get involved with an internal “legal process,” members of Netanyahu’s cabinet enthusiastically welcomed Trump’s demand to completely halt the trial, dismissing the charges against the premier as political persecution of a leader they argue has saved the country from destruction.

Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases. He faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and charges of bribery, as well as fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000.

In Case 1000, he is charged with fraud and breach of trust surrounding allegations that he and his wife Sara received expensive gifts illicitly from Hollywood media mogul Arnon Milchan worth some NIS 700,000 and that Netanyahu violated conflict of interest laws when he provided Milchan with assistance in renewing his long-term US residency visa and sought to help him with tax issues.

In Case 2000, the prime minister is accused of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with the publisher of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Arnon (Noni) Mozes, whereby Yedioth would give the prime minister more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation weakening its key rival, the Israel Hayom free sheet.

Case 4000, also known as the Bezeq-Walla case, is the most serious case the prime minister faces, in which he is accused of authorizing regulatory decisions that financially benefited Bezeq telecommunications giant shareholder Shaul Elovitch by hundreds of millions of shekels. In return, Netanyahu allegedly received favorable media coverage from the Walla news site, which Elovitch also owned.

Lazar Berman and Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.