Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will resume on Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court confirmed, after emergency restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran were lifted.
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A court statement on Thursday said that “the return to work of the judicial system” means Netanyahu’s trial is cleared to continue, beginning with a hearing on Sunday set to include testimony from a defence witness.
Court business in Israel had been interrupted by the conflict but the military’s Home Front Command approved a broad reopening across much of the country after the United States and Iran reached a temporary truce.
Netanyahu is facing charges in two cases in which he allegedly negotiated favourable media coverage from Israeli news outlets, and a third involving accusations that he accepted more than $260,000 in luxury gifts from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
A fourth corruption charge was previously dismissed.
Netanyahu, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the three court cases, is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial for corruption.
Netanyahu has long argued that the proceedings against him, which began in 2019, are a “political trial”.
US President Trump in October directly addressed Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a speech at the Israeli parliament, urging him to grant a pardon.
After Trump’s address in parliament, he sent a letter to Herzog asking that Netanyahu be pardoned, which was followed by an official request from Netanyahu’s lawyers shortly after. - AFP