Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s testimony in his corruption trial will not go beyond an additional 14 sessions, including Monday’s hearing, as determined by the judges overseeing the case. This decision was reached just before proceedings began on Monday.
Both the defense and prosecution have been given until Tuesday to submit their responses to the ruling. The court’s decision aims to restrict Netanyahu’s time on the stand as discussions continue regarding a possible adjustment to the weekly hearing schedule, reducing it from three to two hearings per week. The defense has estimated that a total of 33 to 35 sessions would be necessary, with Monday marking only the 12th hearing since Netanyahu first took the stand in December 2024.
On Sunday, prosecutors submitted a formal objection to Netanyahu’s request for a scheduling change, arguing that the number of testimony hearings already far exceeded normal legal proceedings. They warned that an extended timeline would push the testimony’s conclusion to May.
The judges’ ruling on Monday did not address the request to modify the weekly schedule. However, much of the day’s hearing revolved around a separate petition filed by Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, who requested a confidential session attended by Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Hadad sought to have Katz brief the judges on national security concerns and their potential influence on scheduling, continuing discussions from a similar private session held the previous Wednesday.
A back-and-forth exchange ensued between Hadad and the judges regarding the details and lack of clarity in the defense’s request. Netanyahu then rose to speak, stating that the security landscape had shifted since their last closed-door discussion. He emphasized that classified information prevented them from explaining the request openly. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, their legal filing could not include specifics.
According to Netanyahu, these were highly delicate matters with “implications for our existence, for the future of the state.”
“This matter is serious enough to allow this hearing,” Netanyahu insisted, stressing the need for a more cautious approach to managing the trial, given the shifting security environment.
He further argued that the current system of hearings conflicted with his governmental responsibilities. Netanyahu pointed out that during a critical time in the nation’s history, he was required to dedicate 30 hours per week to court proceedings, preventing him from fulfilling his duties. He criticized the imbalance, saying it was unreasonable to discuss messages allegedly sent a decade ago by Zeev Rubinstein, purportedly involved in a media bribery scheme, while Israel faced a serious multi-front threat.
Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman questioned why the defense had specifically called for Defense Minister Israel Katz to attend, challenging what security-related information Katz would possess that Netanyahu himself did not. She noted that Katz was a politician, not a professional security expert.
Hadad responded that he was open to having another security official testify but maintained that Katz was qualified to shed light on the current national situation. He explained that they had encountered difficulties in determining which information could be disclosed and to whom within the legal teams.
The judges stated that this issue should have been resolved in advance through consultations with intelligence officials. They recommended that the defense reach out to the appropriate authorities for guidance and granted them a short recess to make the necessary preparations. Throughout the day, several breaks were taken as Netanyahu’s legal team worked on security clearances and arranged for an authorized official to attend. Eventually, after private negotiations between the defense and prosecution, an agreement was reached to hold a closed hearing at the conclusion of the testimony.
Delays continued throughout the session, culminating in Netanyahu leaving for an urgent matter in the final hour. Eventually, Friedman-Feldman returned to the courtroom alone to adjourn proceedings, with Netanyahu still absent and only ten minutes remaining before the scheduled closed session. Reports indicated that the head of military intelligence was summoned to brief the court during the private hearing, leading to the cancellation of Tuesday’s session due to security concerns.
Although Hadad had originally planned to focus on other aspects of the case, he proceeded with a detailed review of the indictment alongside Netanyahu. He challenged claims that the news site Walla had provided unusually favorable coverage for Netanyahu in 2015 in exchange for regulatory benefits for its former owner, Shaul Elovitch.
In reference to a specific point in the indictment citing a number of positive articles published on a particular day, Hadad explained to Judge Moshe Bar-Am that his legal team had to conduct extensive research to verify which articles were being referenced, as the indictment itself lacked explicit details.
Bar-Am criticized the prosecution for failing to include a list of articles or an index of links, which would have simplified the process of verifying evidence and avoided placing an unnecessary burden on the defense.
Netanyahu also contended that, contrary to the allegations, Walla had actually provided him with more negative coverage compared to other media outlets. The prosecution, however, maintained that Walla had in fact given him preferential treatment. Netanyahu responded by questioning whether the prosecution had conducted a comparative analysis of his media coverage, arguing that if they had not, they were “coming with extreme carelessness. I hope it’s just carelessness.”
The 13th hearing in Netanyahu’s trial is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.
{Matzav.com Israel}