Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that his trial session scheduled for Monday be postponed until tomorrow, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
اضافة اعلان
After six years facing charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust, Netanyahu submitted an official pardon request to President Isaac Herzog on Sunday, seeking to end his lengthy and unprecedented trial.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. In a statement reported by Times of Israel, he continued to challenge the charges and the legitimacy of the procedures leading to his indictment. He did not indicate any intention to step down as prime minister, arguing that a pardon would allow him to serve Israel’s interests more effectively.
He stated that the trial has been divisive for Israel and that ending it promptly could help reduce tensions and promote national reconciliation.
Netanyahu faces one count of bribery and three counts each of fraud and breach of trust across three separate cases. The charges involve alleged unlawful manipulation of the media and accepting improper gifts in exchange for governmental favors, which he denies, claiming they are fabricated as part of a political coup attempt by police and prosecutors.
The trial began in 2020 after years of investigations and has experienced multiple delays, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Gaza conflict. Netanyahu, who led Israel for nearly a year and a half from mid-2021 to the end of 2022 during the trial, is the first sitting prime minister to be tried while in office.
