With trial set to resume on Sunday after wartime pause, PM asks court to postpone his testimony

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked to postpone giving testimony in his long-running corruption trial that is set to resume next week, citing the ongoing security situation in the region, the premier’s lawyer says in a court filing on Friday.

Netanyahu’s trial was set to resume on Sunday, after Israel lifted a state of emergency imposed over its war with Iran following Wednesday’s ceasefire announcement. The defense said it was prepared to continue hearing the testimony of a prosecution witness.

“Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected… to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the prime minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks,” the filing to the Jerusalem District Court says.

It says that a sealed envelope detailing the classified reasons was delivered to the court, which will rule once the prosecution submits its response.

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019 after years of investigations.

His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to his official commitments, with no end date in sight.

The charges against Netanyahu, along with the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, have damaged his standing. Israel is due to hold an election in October that Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is likely to lose, according to polls.