The Jerusalem District Court decided July 19 that the calling of witnesses in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial will start in January 2021. The court also decided that hearings will be held regularly, three times a week.
Netanyahu faces charges on bribery, fraud and breach of trust, accusations he denies. The July 19 session was the second time the court convened on this issue since the opening of the trial May 24. Then, Netanyahu was requested to appear in the courthouse in person. His lawyers had argued that the prime minister should be exempt from attending because of the cost and security complications entailed by assuring his safety, but the judges rejected that request. Speaking in the corridors of the courthouse upon arrival to the building, Netanyahu then slammed both the police and the prosecution and accused them of attempting to topple him, stating, “When there is a strong right-wing leader like me, everything is permitted to bring him down. This is an attempt to overthrow us.” At that initial May 24 hearing, Netanyahu’s lawyers obtained a first victory by delaying the court hearing on the date of the witness calling for two months, to the July 19 hearing.
