Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Tuesday before the District Court in Tel Aviv for the 81st time since his trial began in 2020 to respond to corruption charges against him.
The session marks Netanyahu’s first court appearance in about two months since the outbreak of war with Iran on February 28.
Netanyahu had been scheduled to appear on Monday, but he requested the session be cancelled, citing “security reasons,” before holding security consultations related to the war in Lebanon.
Israeli daily Maariv reported that Netanyahu is in the final stage of his testimony, having already testified over 80 days of hearings.
According to the prosecutor’s office, he still has around 11 full days of testimony remaining, in addition to a brief re-examination by his defence lawyers.
“In the past two weeks, his hearings were cancelled at his request, and since the start of the war with Iran, he has not testified, despite the resumption of all court sessions in Israel,” the newspaper said.
Netanyahu is scheduled to testify in Case 4000, in which he is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, it added.
According to the indictment, Netanyahu allegedly had a bribery relationship with businessman Shaul Elovitch, the former owner of the Walla news website. In this framework, Netanyahu and his family are accused of making various demands regarding favorable media coverage and requesting the suppression of political rivals.
The court sessions come amid divisions within Israel over reports that Netanyahu sought a pardon from Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
On November 30, Netanyahu requested a pardon without admitting guilt or stepping down from political life.
