Israeli court rejects Cabinet ministers' request to delay Netanyahu's corruption testimony

JERUSALEM

An Israeli court on Monday rejected a last-ditch request by 12 Cabinet ministers to postpone Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his corruption trial, according to Israeli media.

Netanyahu is set to testify before the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday to defend himself against charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

On the eve of his trial, the Cabinet ministers, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, sent a letter to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara requesting the delay.

They cited the current "exceptional security situation" to have his trial postponed, in reference to Sunday’s fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad after anti-regime groups captured the capital Damascus on Sunday.

The letter claimed that Netanyahu's court appearance would harm Israel's national interests.

Israel’s Channel 14 reported on Monday evening that the court rejected their request.

Last month, the court rejected an earlier request to delay Netanyahu’s testimony for 10 weeks due to his preoccupation with the current wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Netanyahu's trial began in May 2020.

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

Opposition leaders accuse Netanyahu of escalating the Gaza war to evade his trial and to achieve a victory that could protect him from conviction and keep him in power.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, so far killing more than 44,700 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 106,000.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala