TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Israeli court on Sunday postponed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his corruption trial after he requested a delay. This was reported by Al Arabiya, also done after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be canceled.
"Following the explanation provided, we accept part of the request and postpone the hearing of Mr. Netanyahu scheduled for this week," Jerusalem's district court said in its ruling, which was published online by Netanyahu's Likud party.
Netanyahu's lawyers had asked the court to exempt him from testifying for the next two weeks, so he could focus on Israel's security issues following a ceasefire with Iran and amid the hostage crisis in Gaza where Israeli captives are held.
They submitted Netanyahu's schedule to the court to show the "national need for the prime minister to devote all his time and energy to the political, national, and security issues facing the country."
The court initially rejected the lawyers' request, but said in its Sunday ruling that it had reconsidered after hearing arguments from the prime minister, the head of military intelligence, and the head of the Mossad spy agency.
Trump's Support
Trump on Saturday said in a post on his Truth Social platform that the United States "will not tolerate" ongoing prosecution. This prompted Netanyahu to thank him in a post on X.
Earlier this week, the US president had described the case against the Israeli prime minister as a "witch hunt," stating that the trial "must be CANCELED, IMMEDIATELY, or Pardon given to the Great Hero."
Israel's opposition leader, Yair Lapid, reacted by saying Trump "should not interfere in the legal trial in an independent country."
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in the corruption case, with his supporters describing the lengthy trial as politically motivated.
In one case, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting over US$260,000 worth of luxury gifts such as cigars, jewelry, and champagne from billionaires in return for political favors.
In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of seeking favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets. The prime minister has sought several trial postponements since it began in May 2020.
Pressure for Netanyahu to Resign
During his current term, which began in late 2022, Netanyahu's government has proposed extensive judicial reforms. According to critics, these proposals are designed to weaken Israel's judiciary and have sparked large-scale protests only limited by the start of the Gaza crisis.
In an interview with Israel's Channel 12 that aired on Saturday, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu of deepening divisions within Israeli society and said he "needs to go."
"Netanyahu has been in power for 20 years... it's too long, it's not healthy," Bennett said.
The far-right former prime minister managed to form a coalition in 2021 that ousted Netanyahu from the prime ministerial position after 12 consecutive years. However, the coalition collapsed before the end of the following year.
Bennett is reportedly planning a comeback, with public opinion polls indicating he may have enough support to oust Netanyahu once again. He declined to comment on the prospect in the Saturday interview.
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