From the Liveblog of
Monday, December 30, 2024
Court asks security services whether PM’s trial must continue to be held at underground Tel Aviv facility
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
The Jerusalem District Court asks the security services to provide an update as to whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can now give testimony in his corruption trial in the Jerusalem District Court, instead of the underground, bombproof room in the Tel Aviv District Court where he has testified until now.
Netanyahu is being tried by the Jerusalem District Court, but the security services determined that the security arrangements in that court were not sufficient to guarantee the prime minister’s safety when he began his testimony on December 10, since it lacks a bomb shelter and other security features.
As a result, the prime minister has given testimony in the Tel Aviv District Court, although proceedings were canceled this week due Netanyahu’s prostate removal surgery on Sunday.
The Jerusalem District Court asks the security services “whether there has been a change in circumstances” that would allow for the proceedings to be held in the Jerusalem court instead.
The court instructed “the professional parties” to provide an update on the matter by Sunday.
On day three of Netanyahu’s testimony, a ballistic missile launched at Israel from Yemen set off sirens in Tel Aviv and across central Israel, but the judges continued with the hearing since the underground courtroom is a bombproof space.
The Times of Israel Community.