Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu corruption hearing delayed after ‘extraordinary circumstances’

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hearing, scheduled to be held tomorrow within the scope of the corruption case, was canceled today after an information note was sent to him, claiming that there were “extraordinary circumstances”. Netanyahu, who wanted to explain the cancellation decision in a closed session, said, “We are dealing with state affairs.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the judge in the corruption case filed against him. An information note received during the hearing caused Netanyahu to leave the courtroom for a while. When he returned, Netanyahu requested that the hearing he was due to testify at be canceled, citing “extraordinary circumstances” as the reason.

The court accepted Netanyahu’s request to begin his hearings at 10 AM rather than 9 AM but rejected an appeal for them to end at 3 PM, determining that they would go on until at least 4 PM No compelling ground had been presented to change earlier rulings on the question, the judges said. They also suggested in their decision that they might permit breaks during Netanyahu’s testimony if “justified reason” arises that warrants time away, in consideration of his responsibilities as prime minister, according to The Times of Israel.

An Israeli court on Monday turned down a last-minute bid by 12 Cabinet ministers to delay testimony by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial, According to Anadolu. The ministers, which included Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, cited the “exceptional security situation” after the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad recently and the capture of Damascus by anti-regime groups. They claimed that Netanyahu’s trial could endanger Israel’s national interests. Despite the request, the court denied the request to delay the proceedings, and Netanyahu is slated to testify on Tuesday before the Tel Aviv District Court.

Netanyahu insisted on explaining the reason for the cancellation in a closed session despite the prosecutor’s objection, “We are dealing with state affairs. There are too many people here and these people have phones.” The prosecutor reacted by saying, “You are objecting to something you have no idea about.”

Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who is presiding over the case at the Tel Aviv District Court, accepted the request by Netanyahu and his lawyers to annul the case. The “extraordinary circumstances” discussed in the closed session between Netanyahu’s lawyers, the prosecutor, and the judges were not disclosed.

On November 21, 2019, Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit requested that three separate corruption cases be opened against Netanyahu, charging him with “bribery, betrayal of trust and abuse of office for personal purposes.”

The first hearing of Netanyahu, who made history as the first Israeli Prime Minister to be tried while in office, was held on May 24, 2020, at the Jerusalem District Court.

Netanyahu is accused of Providing financial privileges worth $276 million to the company in exchange for reporting news favorable to the Netanyahu family on the website “Walla News.”

To unlawfully implement government policy in favor of Shaul Elovitch by replacing the Director General of the Ministry of Communications, Avi Berger, with Shlomo Filber, who also ran the election campaign.

It is alleged that he received champagne, cigars, jewelry, and plane tickets worth $283,000 under the guise of gifts from Israeli Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer.

The claim that Arnon Mozes, the owner of Yediot Ahronot newspaper, and Netanyahu agreed that the government would pass legal regulations aimed at reducing the competitiveness of the rival Israel Hayom newspaper in exchange for the newspaper’s editorial policy being more in favor of the Likud leader.