On Sunday, the Yerushalayim District Court agreed to grant a request from Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s legal team to postpone the hearings for the next two weeks due to his need to rest at home after undergoing prostate surgery.
However, the court emphasized that both the defense and prosecution should find an alternative defense witness to take the stand on the scheduled dates for Netanyahu’s testimony. The prime minister’s attorney mentioned during the proceedings that he intended to call multiple defense witnesses. Both parties were instructed to update the court on their progress with these arrangements by Tuesday.
Netanyahu underwent a prostate removal surgery at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Yerushalayim last Sunday, under full anesthesia. Following the procedure, he spent several days recovering in a secure underground ward, as there were concerns he might become a target for rocket or missile fire due to the ongoing conflict.
The court had already agreed to cancel hearings scheduled for the previous week as Netanyahu was expected to remain in the hospital for several days. Despite this, the prime minister briefly left the hospital on Tuesday to cast a pivotal vote in the Knesset on a budget bill amidst coalition tensions.
Doctors advised Netanyahu to take two weeks of rest at home after his release from the hospital last Thursday.
Netanyahu began his testimony on December 10, and he has already provided six days of testimony. The current case focuses on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in Case 4000, involving the Walla news site and its owner, Shaul Elovitch. The prosecution claims that Walla provided favorable coverage to Netanyahu in exchange for his assistance to Elovitch on regulatory issues.
Even before his surgery caused a delay, it was anticipated that Netanyahu’s testimony would span several weeks, if not months, due to the complexity and pace of the proceedings.
{Matzav.com Israel}