Resumption of Netanyahu's Corruption Trial Coincides with Ongoing Conflict
Israeli PM Netanyahu's corruption trial resumes amidst ongoing conflict, following a two-month suspension due to a state of emergency declared following Hamas attacks on October 7
The corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resumed on Monday after a two-month hiatus due to the state of emergency declared following the October 7 Hamas attacks. The state of emergency was lifted by Israeli Minister of Justice Yaris Levin, effective December 1.
Netanyahu's corruption trial commenced in January 2020, marking him as the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial as a defendant, facing allegations of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. He maintains his innocence despite the charges. The prime minister is confronted with accusations in three distinct cases.
In Case 1000, he faces charges of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly accepting gifts such as cigars and champagne from foreign businessmen.
In Case 2000, he is also accused of fraud and breach of trust, with allegations that he sought positive media coverage in a major Israeli newspaper in exchange for limiting the circulation of a competing publication.
In the most severe instance, referred to as Case 4000, he faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust for reportedly providing regulatory benefits valued at over $250 million to his friend Shaul Elovitch, the majority stakeholder of telecommunications company Bezeq.
In exchange, the prosecution alleges that Elovitch guaranteed favorable coverage of the Prime Minister on an online news site he owned, named Walla! News. Elovitch has denied the allegations.
Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem condemned the decision to continue Prime Minister Netanyahu's trial during a time of war. "Instead of focusing on war, kidnapped citizens, and people displaced from their homes, the priority seems to be renewing Netanyahu's trial. This distracts the Prime Minister from leading our country during this critical time," Amsalem, who also serves as a minister in the Ministry of Justice, expressed on X.
Netanyahu has denounced the indictments as a conspiracy orchestrated by Israel's liberal and media elites to bring down him and his right-wing bloc. According to Israeli law, he is not obligated to resign from his position unless he is convicted and the conviction is upheld through the appeals process.
Earlier this year, his administration successfully passed a law that essentially removes the authority of the country's courts to declare a prime minister unfit for office. Critics contend that the law was created to benefit Netanyahu during his corruption trial and have taken the issue to the country's Supreme Court for review.
