The Jerusalem District Court has reportedly postponed the scheduled testimony of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his office requested cancellation, citing “security-diplomatic reasons”.
Jerusalem District Court Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham decided to instead hear another defense witness.
In response to the testimony’s cancellation, the prosecution said that Netanyahu should adjust his schedule to the court’s calendar, stressing the public interest in advancing the trial and concluding the prime minister’s cross-examination, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Netanyahu’s last confirmed testimony was on February 23, days after which the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran, triggering a war that spread across the Middle East.
Why Netanyahu’s testimony was cancelled?
Over a week ago, Netanyahu had asked to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial. A filing in the Jerusalem District Court said, “Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected … to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks.”
The filing also noted that a sealed envelope with details of the classified reasons was delivered to the court, Reuters reported.
The bench will now reportedly hear the testimony of Ilanit Filber, the wife of Israeli PM’s former confidant and state witness Shlomo Filber, who is a key figure in Case 4000, the Bezeq-Walla affair, the only case in which Netanyahu faces a bribery charge.
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Shlomo Filber served as the director-general of the communications ministry under Netanyahu, and he was the key prosecution witness on the allegation that the Israeli PM directed regulatory steps to benefit Shaul Elovitch’s Bezeq in return for favourable coverage on Walla news, according to The Jerusalem Post.
However, his 2022 testimony carried major inconsistencies, following which the State Attorney’s Office reportedly moved to annul his state-witness agreement.
The court order also noted that defense witness Yoram Naaman had completed his testimony and that Ilanit Filber was scheduled as defense witness no.15 for Monday.
What are the charges against Netanyahu?
Benjamin Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to stand trial. He has been named in three separate cases, charged with accepting bribes, fraud and breach of trust.
The Israeli PM’s trial began in May 2020 after Israel’s justice ministry announced indictments in three cases in 2019. Of the three, the most damaging case against Netanyahu centres on an influence-peddling scandal.
Netanyahu allegedly promoted regulation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Israel’s Bezeq telecom company. In return, Bezeq allegedly provided favourable coverage of the Israeli PM and his family.
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In the second case, there are allegations of the Israeli PM accepting gifts of up to $200,000 from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors alleged that in return for the gifts, Netanyahu lobbied on Milchan’s behalf on US visa matters, tried to legislate a generous tax break for the producer and promoted his interests in the Israeli media.
In the third case, the Israeli PM is reported to have offered a newspaper publication a legislation, which would weaken their main rival in the business, again, in return for his favourable coverage.
