Israeli PM’s trail postponed until after elections
RAMALLAH, Palestine (North Press) – On Monday, an Israeli court decided to postpone the trial of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of multiple corruption crimes, to April 5, that is, two weeks after the elections.
The “Central” Court in Jerusalem decided to hold three sessions per week to hear the allegations, from Monday to Wednesday, and from the morning until the afternoon hours.
In 2019, Netanyahu faced accusations of receiving gifts from wealthy friends and seeking to make preferential organizational decisions for investors in the media sector in exchange for favorable coverage.
Among the charges against Netanyahu are obtaining personal benefits by receiving gifts worth at 700,000 shekels ($213,000) from the Israeli-Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan, and 250,000 shekels ($72,000) from Australian billionaire James Packer.
Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009, after a first term between 1996 and 1999.
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) said that the panel of judges that examines the case, rejected Netanyahu’s request to cancel the indictment submitted against him, on the grounds that the legal advisor to the government, Avichai Mandelblit had not approved the investigation against him at the time.
The judges pointed out that although it appears that there is a defect in this regard, but it is “just a formal defect that does not justify deleting the indictment.”
They added, “Mandelblit should have issued a written letter agreeing to open investigations.”
In the context, sources monitoring the Israeli electoral issue expected to North Press that Likud Party leader, Benjamin Netanyahu would also win the early elections scheduled for next month.
However, it remains difficult to obtain the majority that enables him to form a comfortable formation for the next government, with the exception of forming a government coalition from a number of parties, but headed by Netanyahu, according to the sources.