Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to take the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his ongoing trial regarding alleged fraud and corruption in Israel.
This high-profile trial unfolds as Netanyahu’s government navigates multiple conflicts, notably with Iran and its proxy terrorist groups, compounded by the recent fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime this past weekend.
The corruption case initiated in 2020, with prosecutors accusing Netanyahu of engaging in under-the-table dealings to exchange regulatory favors for favorable media coverage from influential media moguls.
To date, about 140 witnesses have testified, significantly lower than the projected 300 witnesses. Notably, this list includes prominent figures such as a former prime minister, former security chiefs, and media personalities.
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Netanyahu and his wife have undergone multiple interviews by the police concerning the charges, but Tuesday marks the first occasion for him to appear as a witness.
His testimony is expected to be a rigorous process, lasting weeks, with him scheduled to testify three days a week for several hours each session. The defense has made several attempts to delay the prime minister’s testimony, yet these efforts have not been successful.
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Critics accuse Netanyahu of prolonging and heightening Israel’s conflict with Hamas to postpone the legal proceedings. The prosecution concluded its case in July, and a verdict is not anticipated until 2026, after which either party could appeal to the supreme court.
In a twist, Netanyahu is garnering support in the International Criminal Court’s case against him, with American politicians uniting in his defense amid allegations of war crimes. The Pentagon has also expressed that it “fundamentally rejects” the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
“We remain concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the procedural developments that have unfolded,” stated Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh in November. “We have consistently made it clear that the ICC lacks jurisdiction in this matter.”
Several senior Senate members have indicated their support for sanctions against the ICC following the issuance of the arrest warrants.
