Netanyahu asks court to delay his testimony in his graft trial, saying war has made it impossible to prepare

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal team has filed a request with the Jerusalem District Court to delay his testimony in his corruption trial by two-and-a-half months, claiming that a series of security incidents that happened during the time given to prepare him for the testimony has made the task “impossible,” Hebrew media outlets report.

The request reportedly cites several major developments in the war in recent months, adding that they “caused most of the time slots meant to prepare the prime minister to give his testimony to be canceled due to urgent security or diplomatic needs.”

It contends that “this small delay will enable the defense to properly prepare for his testimony and won’t harm the public interest.”

The request has been widely expected, on grounds that the ongoing war prevents him from adequately preparing for his testimony, as well as that the prime minister cannot stand trial in the court at this time since it does not have a safe room or bomb shelter.

Netanyahu’s private home was targeted in a Hezbollah drone attack last month, reportedly prompting new security protocols that have seen him work primarily from changing, secure locations.

Netanyahu is scheduled to begin testifying on December 2 with the beginning of his legal team’s defense after the prosecution rested earlier this year. This testimony is expected to last several hours a day and take weeks to complete.

In July this year, Netanyahu’s legal team requested that the court postpone his testimony from November until March 2025 due to his need to manage the war, but the court rejected the request and set the date for December.

The prime minister has been charged with fraud and breach of trust in two cases and bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a third. He was indicted almost five years ago, in January 2020, and the trial began in May of that year. He denies all the allegations against him.

Netanyahu previously argued that he would be able to stand trial while also serving as prime minister. The new development may be met by fresh petitions by government watchdog groups to the High Court of Justice to have the prime minister recused from office, after previous petitions demanding this were rejected.