Benjamin Netanyahu had presented several requests to postpone the process in three different cases due to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon
The Prime Minister of ,, this Tuesday (10) rejected the accusations of of which he is the target, in the first criminal case against a sitting head of government in the country. Netanyahu has repeatedly tried to postpone his testimony in court, where he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust in three separate cases.
The Israeli prime minister answered questions from the court, which asked how much the accusations bothered him. “If I say it is [como] a drop in the sea, it would be an exaggeration”, he replied. “I am occupied with matters of global importance,” he continued. Netanyahu said on Monday that he had been waiting for years for the trial, “to completely demolish the absurd and unfounded accusations” against him.
Supporters and critics of the prime minister gathered in front of the court. “Netanyahu, the people support you”, some shouted. Others, in turn, chanted “Bibi to prison”, in reference to her nickname. The trial began in May 2020 but was interrupted by the war in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
For security reasons, the trial was moved from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The prime minister had made several requests to postpone the process due to the wars in Gaza and Lebanon. In the first of the cases judged by the court, Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting more than 260 thousand dollars (R$ 1.57 million at current exchange rates) in luxury items, such as cigarettes, jewelry and champagne, from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
The other two involve Netanyahu’s alleged attempts to negotiate more favorable coverage in two Israeli media outlets in exchange for weakening competition and favoring a business operation by the group’s owner, respectively. Since his return to power in late 2022, Netanyahu’s coalition government has clashed with the judiciary and security forces, sparking large demonstrations as the prime minister tried to pass new laws that would weaken the courts.
Netanyahu’s critics accuse him of being a corrupt politician who would do anything to stay in power and believe that the proceedings will go ahead. On Monday, several ministers from Netanyahu’s government sent a letter to the attorney general asking for the trial to be postponed due to recent events in Syria following the fall of the Assad dynasty.
However, the Prosecutor’s Office rejected the requests, claiming that it is in the public interest to conclude the trial as quickly as possible. However, he agreed to reduce hearings from three to two per week due to the prime minister’s work.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Carolina Ferreira
