Israel’s Netanyahu appears before court for 19th time in his corruption trial

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the court for the 19th time on Monday in his corruption trial, local media said.

Netanyahu appears twice before the Tel Aviv District Court weekly to defend himself against the charges.

According to the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the court canceled Netanyahu’s testimony on Wednesday upon his request and scheduled him to take the stand three times next week.

Netanyahu requested the postponement to attend a Knesset discussion on a bill to change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.

Netanyahu faces three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019 against him: Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000, which include accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “fake.”

Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country’s history.

Under Israeli law, he is not required to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, a process that could take several months.

Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where more than 50,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.