Israel’s Netanyahu appears in court for 24th time in his corruption trial

JERUSALEM / ANKARA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared once again before the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday to defend himself against corruption charges.

It marked the 24th time for Netanyahu to appear before the court since Dec. 10, 2024, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

The court convenes twice a week to hear the Israeli premier’s responses to the charges brought against him.

According to a court statement, Netanyahu's hearing sessions on his corruption trial will end by May 7.

The Israeli premier will take the stand in four more sessions on April 28-29 and May 6-7.

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 51,200 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.