Netanyahu to spend half a week in court as corruption trial accelerates

TEL AVIV: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be required to testify three times a week in his corruption trial beginning in November, after the Jerusalem District Court rejected a request from his lawyers to maintain the current schedule. Judges ruled that hearings will now be held four times a week in total, citing the need to accelerate proceedings that have already stretched on for years.

“This is a huge case, and in many ways unprecedented, both in its scope and complexity,” the judges wrote in their decision. “The proceedings have been going on for more than five years. We still have a long way to go. The defense is only at the beginning, and is progressing at a slow pace. Our duty to rule on the case requires a significant increase in the schedule of the hearings”.

Netanyahu has been testifying twice a week since December, though many hearings have been shortened or canceled due to his illnesses, fatigue, or government responsibilities. The court acknowledged the demands of his position but concluded that the balance had shifted. In the past, judges accepted Netanyahu’s argument that a heavier schedule would impair his ability to govern, but they said the length and complexity of the case now justified more frequent hearings.

The judges also rejected claims that the expanded timetable would harm the defense, noting that similar arrangements had been imposed in other high-profile trials, including the Holyland case that led to the conviction of former prime minister Ehud Olmert. “These are experienced defense teams, who have the ability to do their job properly. So is Mr. Netanyahu,” the ruling said.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin criticized the decision, arguing that Netanyahu should not be compelled to spend so much time in court during a time of war. The new schedule will take effect in November, with Netanyahu testifying three times a week until the end of his cross-examination.

The prime minister faces charges of fraud, accepting bribes, and breach of trust stemming from three separate police investigations. Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing and has insisted in the past that the trial would not interfere with his public responsibilities.

In the case known as the “Bezeq Affair,” Netanyahu, while serving as Communications Minister, is accused of giving regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecom giant. In return, Bezeq’s majority shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, allegedly provided Netanyahu with favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which he owned.

In the second investigation, known as the “Yediot Affair,” Netanyahu allegedly helped Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes by advancing regulations on newspaper distribution to Mozes’s advantage. In exchange, Mozes is accused of offering Netanyahu favorable coverage.

In a separate investigation known as the “Gifts Affair,” Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting $200,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance with a U.S. visa and changes to tax provisions benefiting Milchan. This case is widely regarded as the most serious one against Netanyahu.

The corruption trial has been taking place at the Jerusalem District Court, but for security reasons, Netanyahu was permitted to testify in an underground bunker at the Tel Aviv District Court. (ANI/TPS)