Netanyahu attends court for 21st time in ongoing corruption trial

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
2 Apr 2025 15:49
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The premier is facing three separate corruption cases—Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000—filed against him in 2019.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, on April 2, 2025 (AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday for the 21st time as part of his ongoing corruption trial.

Netanyahu attends court hearings twice a week to defend himself against charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. According to Israeli media, he is scheduled to participate in a total of 24 sessions.

The premier is facing three separate corruption cases—Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000—filed against him in 2019. He has consistently denied all allegations, dismissing them as “fake”.

His trial, which began on May 24, 2020, marks the first time a sitting Israeli leader has taken the stand as a criminal defendant in the occupation entity's history.

Under Israeli law, Netanyahu is not obligated to step down unless convicted by the Supreme Court, a legal process that could take months.

In addition to the corruption charges, Netanyahu is also accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for him and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where more than 50,400 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu heads to Hungary, defying ICC arrest warrant

Netanyahu is set to begin a four-day visit to Hungary on Thursday, defying the arrest warrant issued by the ICC.

As a founding member of the ICC, Hungary is theoretically required to detain and extradite individuals facing court-issued warrants. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who extended the invitation, has made it clear that his government will not comply with the ruling.

Netanyahu, currently facing political turmoil in "Israel" over an investigation into suspected ties between Qatar and three of his aides, is scheduled to meet with Orban before holding a press conference at approximately 10:00 GMT.

The Israeli premier has dismissed the allegations involving his aides as “fake news”, while a Qatari official has rejected the claims as part of a “smear campaign” against Doha.

Orban extended the invitation to Netanyahu just one day after the ICC announced its arrest warrant over war crimes in Gaza.

"Israel" has categorically denied all accusations, labeling them politically motivated and driven by "antisemitism".

Orban has echoed "Israel’s" criticism, condemning the ICC’s decision as “brazen, cynical and completely unacceptable.”

The ICC, in a statement, reiterated that its member states are legally obligated to enforce its rulings and stressed that individual states do not have the authority to assess the validity of its legal decisions.