Netanyahu's Trial Begins; Israeli Prime Minister Must Testify Three Times a Week

The Israeli Prime Minister, after 8 years of police investigations and the prosecution's indictment against him in three cases of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust, began the testimony phase in his defense on Tuesday, December 20, in a court in Tel Aviv. According to Israeli media reports, a number of his supporters and opponents held protests outside the court. Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a press conference on Monday night that he has been waiting for this opportunity for 8 years to prove his 'innocence' and the 'endless fake news' published in his country's media. He said that testifying in court is an opportunity for reporters and media outlets that spread 'false news' to reflect the truth. Mr. Netanyahu added that he has the ability and will to both advance his trial and manage the country's affairs, including issues related to the ongoing war. Netanyahu's request to postpone his testimony was rejected; the Israeli Prime Minister will go to court next week. Several of his supporting ministers recently wrote separate letters to the Attorney General requesting a delay in testimony, stating that the Prime Minister should dedicate all his time and energy to addressing regional affairs and the war. According to the court's request, Benjamin Netanyahu must testify three days a week, each time for 6 hours. After about three years of police investigations led by a team headed by Iranian-born senior officer Kourosh Barnour, the prosecution presented the indictment against Mr. Netanyahu to the court in 2019, and the trial effectively began in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The testimony phase, if it proceeds without issues, is expected to last several weeks to several months. Testimony from dozens of Israeli and foreign witnesses in this court will also be time-consuming. The case known as 'Case 1000' accuses Mr. Netanyahu of receiving personal gifts from his billionaire friends, 'Case 2000' revolves around accusations of 'political collusion' with the owner of the popular newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth to publish articles to reduce criticism against him, and 'Case 4000' accuses him of wanting to grant favors to the owner of the 'Walla News' site in exchange for favorable media coverage regarding the telecommunications company that was in the process of privatization. Netanyahu's legal troubles in recent years have led to a deep divide in Israel, with his supporters pushing for a plan called 'judicial reforms' to give the executive branch more influence over the judiciary. Opponents of the proposed measures have labeled them a 'judicial coup' and protested against them for 10 months, which only stopped following the sudden attack by the extremist group Hamas on Israel last October and the onset of the Gaza war. However, as the war has decreased, the flames of political disputes over Benjamin Netanyahu have re-emerged. The Israeli judiciary has a history of prosecuting a president and a former prime minister, both of whom were sentenced to prison but immediately stepped down from their positions. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to 19 months in prison, and former President Moshe Katsav was sentenced to 5 years in prison, both of whom have completed their prison terms. Benjamin Netanyahu, 75, who has been in power longer than any other politician in the country, is the first leader to be tried while remaining in office.