3 days ago
Sick or Slick? Netanyahu misses trial as Israelis call It a sham
Published July 20th, 2025 - 06:54 GMT
ALBAWABA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not go to a court hearing on Monday that is part of his ongoing trial for corruption. His office said he has a stomach problem from eating bad food, so he will not be there. Legal experts, on the other hand, aren't sure about the comment and say Netanyahu is trying to avoid the courtroom. Also Read Netanyahu phones Pope after striking church attack in Gaza
A statement released on Sunday said that Netanyahu felt pain overnight and was checked out at home by Professor Alon Hershko, who is in charge of internal medicine at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. They were told they had a gut infection from eating food that was contaminated. The Prime Minister is now getting fluids through an IV because he is dehydrated. He has been told to rest at home for three days and will still be able to run the government from home during that time.
Netanyahu didn't show up to Sunday's cabinet meeting. He was supposed to be in Tel Aviv District Court on Monday to face charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He usually goes to court twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays.
At the end of this week, the Israeli court system will start its summer break, which will last until September. It is still not clear if more trial times will be set during this time.
Netanyahu taken ill with intestinal inflammation resulting from eating contaminated office says he needs to rest at home for 3 days.
His trial was meant to restart tomorrow. — Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) July 20, 2025
Yael Friedson, a legal affairs writer for Haaretz, questioned when and if the Prime Minister was really sick. He wrote on the social media site X that the announcement "is a continuation of Netanyahu's attempts to avoid cross-examination."
She asked the courts to hold hearings during the next break, noting the "extraordinary circumstances" of Netanyahu's frequent absences.
Besides the case of corruption, Netanyahu is also under legal pressure from other countries. He was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with military activities in Gaza by the International Criminal Court on November 21, 2024. They issued an arrest warrant for him. The longtime leader of Israel could go to prison if found guilty in a domestic or foreign court.
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