Israel’s PM Netanyahu takes stand in historic corruption trial
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The news: For the first time in Israel’s history, a sitting prime minister took the stand as a criminal defendant in court. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand in his own long-delayed trial involving bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges.
For security reasons, he testified at a fortified underground courtroom in Tel Aviv, where he denied wrongdoing, calling the accusations baseless and politically motivated.
The context: The testimony, scheduled for six hours a day, three days a week over several weeks, will consume a substantial portion of Netanyahu’s working time, even as he simultaneously manages Israel’s war in Gaza and broader regional conflicts.
The court rejected Netanyahu’s attempts to delay the trial further or reduce testimony hours.
A verdict is not expected until 2026 at the earliest, after which Netanyahu would have the option to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The unprecedented trial, which includes three cases alleging Netanyahu did favours for businessmen, accepted valuable gifts and bribes and proposed media-related legislation in exchange for favourable coverage, has deepened political divisions.
Critics accuse Netanyahu of exploiting the ongoing war to stay in power, while his supporters claim the charges are politically motivated.
Protesters gathered outside the court, including families of Gaza hostages and opposing camps of Netanyahu’s critics and backers.
What they said: Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, denies all allegations, calling the trial a "witch hunt" by biased institutions and promising to “poke holes” in what he calls absurd accusations.
Appearing confident and smiling at the court hearing Tuesday, Netanyahu told the three-judge court: "I have been waiting for eight years for this moment to tell the truth. But I am also a prime minister … I am leading the country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel."
“I’ve read the materials and I’m amazed by the magnitude of the absurdity,” Netanyahu said. “I will tell the truth as I remember it. I want to speak and hope that we won’t be disturbed. I still think it’s possible to wage war and peace and also a trial.”
The sources: Reuters , Bloomberg , Associated Press
