Netanyahu requests to postpone court testimony by 2 weeks
The leader cited 'classified' reasons having to do with the Iran war for why he cannot find the time to testify in his long-running graft trial
Citing Israel's ongoing security challenges, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday requested to push back once again his testimony in his long-running graft trial set to resume next week.
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli premier to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019. His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to his official commitments.
After the two-week ceasefire between U.S. and Iran put a stop to Iranian ballistic missile attacks on the Jewish state, the Jerusalem District Court said that "with the lifting of the state of emergency and the return of the judicial system to work, hearings will resume as usual."
On Friday, Netanyahu's office made a filing to the court reading “due to classified security and diplomatic reasons having to do with the recent dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks.”
Netanyahu's ally U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Israel's President Isaac Herzog for a pardon.
Herzog's office has stated in response that the justice ministry's pardons department would gather opinions to submit to the president's legal adviser, who will formulate a recommendation, as per standard practice.