Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to delay his corruption trial for diplomatic reasons was rejected by the Jerusalem District Court, which ruled the plea lacked sufficient justification.
On Friday, Jerusalem District Court has rejected Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appeal for a 2-week adjournment of his currently ongoing corruption trial,arguing that the grounds given did not justify suspending court proceedings.
Netanyahu’s defense lawyer Amit Hadad made the request. It highlighted the premier’s need to pay attention to “diplomatic, national, and security matters of the first order,” particularly in the context of the recent ended war with Iran, which concluded this week through a ceasefire agreement. Hadad also claimed that the Prime Minister needed undistracted time to deal with the fallout of the conflict and continued negotiations of regional importance.
However, Justice Rivka Friedman-Feldman dismissed the motion, noted that the defense failed to give sufficient justification. “The request does not present a detailed basis or reason that might justify canceling evidentiary hearings,” the judge said.
The State Attorney’s Office was also firmly against the decision. In its reply, it said, “The general reasons elaborated in the request cannot justify postponing two weeks of hearings, particularly in the period leading up to the summer recess.”
Prosecutors said that Netanyahu’s schedule had already been made amenable to the court by slowing down the questioning pace and restricting his appearances to twice weekly.
PM Netanyahu’s lawyers submitted the appeal in reports of negotiations between Israel and the United States over the creation of a more extensive regional accord potentially resolving the Gaza war and leading towards normalization with further Arab countries. Though these have not yet been confirmed officially, they were mentioned in the plea of the defense as part of the “urgent” diplomatic terrain.
The trial, which focuses on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges in three different cases, remains a political and legal tinderbox for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
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Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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