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Israel’s Netanyahu seeks another delay in corruption trial

Lawyers for the prime minister say the latest coronavirus lockdown in Israel has left them unable to prepare for next week's hearing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech at the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in Jerusalem on December 22, 2020. (Photo by Yonathan SINDEL / POOL / AFP) (Photo by YONATHAN SINDEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Citing a surge in coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s defense team has asked the court to delay an upcoming hearing in his corruption trial by one month. 

On Jan. 13, Netanyahu is scheduled appear in court for the latest hearing in his trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The state prosecution says Netanyahu — Israel’s first sitting prime minister to be tried in court — accepted lavish gifts from wealthy businessmen and offered regulatory bribes in exchange for favorable media coverage.

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