Court says Netanyahu must begin testimony in his corruption trial in December
After PM asked to delay until March due to war, judges rule he can reasonably prepare by year’s end, and say they weighed the challenges of the war with public interest
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will begin his testimony in his ongoing corruption trial on December 2, 2024, the Jerusalem District Court decided in a ruling on Tuesday.
In their ruling, the judges overseeing the trial said they had weighed “the ability to prepare the prime minister to do so during a time of war, with the public interest in advancing the case.”
Two weeks ago, Netanyahu’s criminal defense attorney said the prime minister needed until at least March 2025 due to the ongoing war against Hamas. The State Attorney’s Office earlier this week expressed opposition to the request, demanding that Netanyahu’s testimony start no later than November 1.
“We’re trying, but it’s a very challenging time for our ability to sit with the prime minister, ask questions, understand and receive feedback,” Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad told the judges in the hearing on Tuesday.
“I’m not asking for mercy. We will do the work and win, but you need to consider that there are circumstances here that we cannot control,” he added.
The prime minister faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000. He was indicted four and half years ago in January 2020 and the trial began in May of that year.
Netanyahu has so far not taken the stand, though he has appeared in court on a handful of occasions. Proceedings have involved cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, but that phase is expected to end in the coming weeks. As the main defendant, Netanyahu should be the first to face cross-examination as the defense presents its witnesses in the three cases.
Case 4000, also known as the Bezeq-Walla case and the most serious the prime minister faces, focuses on allegations that Netanyahu authorized 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.
Case 2000 concerns allegations Netanyahu tried to obtain positive media coverage in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper in exchange for curtailing its competitor. In Case 1000, prosecutors say Netanyahu inappropriately received expensive gifts from billionaire benefactors.
