An Israeli court on Sunday granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a postponement of his testimony in his ongoing corruption trial, citing his need to focus on pressing security matters.
This decision comes as US President Donald Trump publicly called for the case against the Israeli premier to be dismissed.
The Jerusalem District Court’s ruling, published by Netanyahu’s Likud party, stated, “Following the explanations given… we partially accept the request and cancel at this stage Mr. Netanyahu’s hearings scheduled for this week.
Netanyahu’s legal team had requested the two-week delay, emphasising the prime minister’s need to dedicate his full attention to security issues, including the recent ceasefire with Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where Israeli hostages are still held.
They submitted his schedule to the court to illustrate the “national need” for his focus on these critical matters.
The court initially rejected the request but reversed its decision after hearing arguments from Netanyahu, the head of military intelligence, and the chief of the Mossad spy agency.
Adding an international dimension to the legal proceedings, US President Donald Trump intervened on Saturday, stating on Truth Social that the United States was “not going to stand” for the continued prosecution.
Netanyahu publicly thanked Trump on X for his support.
Earlier in the week, Trump had labelled the case a “witch hunt,” urging for its immediate cancellation or a pardon for a “Great Hero.”
In response, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised Trump, asserting that he “should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country.”
Netanyahu has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the corruption affair, and his supporters maintain that the long-running trial is politically motivated.
The charges against him include accusations that he and his wife, Sara, accepted over $260,000 in luxury goods from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
He also faces charges of attempting to negotiate more favourable media coverage from two Israeli outlets. The prime minister has sought multiple postponements since the trial began in May 2020.
Domestically, Netanyahu’s current government, which took office in late 2022, has proposed far-reaching judicial reforms. Critics argue these reforms were designed to weaken the courts and sparked massive protests that only subsided with the onset of the Gaza war.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 on Saturday, former prime minister Naftali Bennett accused Netanyahu of exacerbating societal divisions and called for his resignation, stating that Netanyahu “has been in power for 20 years… that’s too much; it’s not healthy.”
Bennett, a former right-wing premier, had previously formed a coalition in 2021 that unseated Netanyahu after 12 consecutive years, though his government collapsed the following year.
Bennett is rumoured to be planning a political comeback, with polls suggesting he could again garner sufficient support to oust Netanyahu, a prospect he declined to comment on in the interview.
