Israeli court postpones Netanyahu appearance in graft trial

JERUSALEM - An Israeli court on June 29 postponed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial after he requested a delay with the support of US President Donald Trump, in a ruling published by the Premier’s party.

“Following the explanations given... we partially accept the request and cancel at this stage Mr Netanyahu’s hearings scheduled” for this week, the Jerusalem district court said in its ruling, published online by the Likud party.

Mr Netanyahu’s lawyers had

asked the court to excuse him from testifying

over the next two weeks, so he could focus on security issues following a ceasefire with Iran and amid ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are being held.

They had submitted Mr Netanyahu’s schedule to the court to demonstrate “the national need for the Prime Minister to devote all his time and energy to the political, national and security issues at hand”.

The court initially rejected the lawyers’ request, but said in its ruling on June 29 that it had changed its judgment after hearing arguments from the Prime Minister, the head of military intelligence and the chief of the Mossad spy agency.

Mr Trump on June 25

described the case against Mr Netanyahu as a “witch-hunt”

, saying the trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero”.

He added in a

post on his Truth Social platform on June 28

that the US was “not going to stand” for the continued prosecution, prompting Mr Netanyahu to thank him in a message on X.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on June 26 criticised Mr Trump, saying he “should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country”.

Mr Netanyahu has thanked Mr Trump for his support in Israel’s brief war against Iran, which

ended with a ceasefire on June 24

.

He has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have described the long-running trial as politically motivated.

In a first case, he and his wife Sara Netanyahu are accused of accepting more than US$260,000 (S$332,000) worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.

In two other cases, Mr Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.

During his current term, which started in late 2022, Mr Netanyahu’s government has proposed a

series of far-reaching judicial reforms

that critics say were designed to weaken the courts.

He has requested multiple postponements in the trial since it began in May 2020. AFP