Israeli court agrees to delay Netanyahu’s corruption trial testimony by 15 days

The Jerusalem Regional Court agreed to postpone Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial testimony by 15 days, citing unpreparedness due to the war.

In their written statement to delay the proceedings, Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham acknowledged that there was “no change in circumstances that justifies altering the scheduled date.” However, they stated that, “not without deliberation,” they had decided to partially accept the argument from Netanyahu’s legal defense team. The team contended that the prime minister required additional time to prepare his arguments due to Israel's ongoing war with the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

Unless revised again, Netanyahu’s corruption trial testimony is now scheduled for Dec. 10. In addition, his defense team has reportedly committed not to request any further delays in the legal proceedings.

In early November, Netanyahu’s legal team had requested a 2.5-month postponement due to Netanyahu’s focus on the ongoing multi-front war. Netanyahu’s defense team argued that major developments in the war had “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.”

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

While the Jerusalem court rejected the request to postpone the trial testimony by 2.5 months, it eventually agreed to postpone it by 15 days.

Meanwhile, the state prosecutors involved in the Netanyahu trial have opposed even the shortened delay, noting a “clear public interest in completing the trial as quickly as possible and preventing delays, the long preparation time provided, and lack of substantial reasons for changed circumstances since this decision.”

“After the attorney-general’s consultation with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), who had initial contact with the courts administration, several possible frameworks could be proposed to ensure proper and continuous trial proceedings, considering the PM’s security needs,” the prosecution wrote in response.

The Israeli prime minister is facing charges of bribery, corruption and breach of trust in three separate legal cases.

In Case 1000, Netanyahu and his wife are accused of receiving illegal gifts worth over $200,000 from the Israeli-born Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian businessman James Packer.

The second case, known as “Case 2000,” concerns an alleged non-materialized deal between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper owner Arnon Mozes to boost the paper’s market share at the expense of its media rival Israel Hayom in exchange for favorable media coverage of Netanyahu.

“Case 4000,” the most In the most serious legal case known as

In "Case 4000," the most serious of the legal cases against him, Netanyahu is accused of granting regulatory favors worth approximately $500 million to Shaul Elovitch, the primary shareholder of Israeli telecom company Bezeq, in exchange for favorable coverage in Walla News, the media outlet owned by Elovitch.

The prime minister has denied all charges and claims that he and his family are victims of a politically motivated witch hunt that seeks to oust him from power.

In August, Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara argued that there was a “clear public interest” in finishing the Netanyahu trial as soon as possible. However, given its complexities, the large number of individuals involved and the ongoing war, analysts pundits believe the trial could extend for several more years.