Latest news with #corruptionTrial
Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Netanyahu asks court to suspend corruption trial so he can focus on possible Gaza ceasefire
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said efforts are being made with the US to follow the military victory over Iran with a regional diplomatic initiative to end the war in Gaza and expand regional peace agreements. Mr Netanyahu said: 'We've been working on it energetically. Along with releasing our hostages and defeating Hamas , there is an opportunity, a window of opportunity has opened, and it can't be missed. Not even a single day can be wasted.' Mr Netanyahu asked the Tel Aviv district court to suspend proceedings in his corruption trial for two weeks so that he can devote more time to a possible ceasefire deal. The court rejected the request. US president Donald Trump , in a bizarre social media post, recently called for the trial to end, writing: 'Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero, who has done so much for the State.' READ MORE Mr Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust – all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He has pleaded not guilty. Mr Trump's message appeared to be linked to a wider push for regional peace and an effort to prepare public opinion in Israel for a move to pardon Mr Netanyahu. There was speculation in the Israeli media that the initiative for Mr Trump's message may have come from the prime minister's office. Opposition politicians and legal experts have criticised Mr Trump's comments as a blatant interference in Israel's internal affairs, but coalition members are considering the promotion of a Bill to cancel the trial. US officials have spoken in recent days of progress in efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire, noting that the defeat of Iran, the main backer of Hamas, has put extra pressure on the militant group. Senior Trump administration officials have urged Israel to send its negotiation team to Cairo next week, but Israeli officials have indicated such a move was premature. [ Two tribes: How Israel and Iran became enemies Opens in new window ] Israel is not willing to commit to an end to the war and Hamas refuses to disarm and agree that its leaders will leave Gaza as part of any deal. According to the Yisrael Hayom newspaper, as part of the emerging US plan to end the war, new countries including Saudi Arabia and Syria would join the Abraham Accords – the series of normalisation that Mr Trump's administration negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. Oman, Qatar and Indonesia have also been mentioned as states that may join the Abraham Accords if the conflict ends. As part of the deal, Israel would be required to commit to supporting a future Palestinian state. According to the plan, after Hamas leaders are exiled, four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing Gaza and supervising reconstruction efforts. Gazans wishing to emigrate would be absorbed by several unnamed countries, even though no country has expressed a willingness to absorb Gaza residents. Gazans reacted angrily in February when Mr Trump suggested the US could develop Gaza and force Palestinians to go elsewhere. The plan drew global condemnation with Palestinians, Arab nations and the UN saying it would amount to ethnic cleansing. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage into Gaza. [ Why have oil prices not soared in wake of Israel and US bombing Iran? ] In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza. A large majority of people in Israel want the conflict to end. In the last month 20 soldiers have been killed. A poll on Friday showed that 59 per cent of Israelis support ending the war in a deal that would bring back all 50 remaining hostages, of whom 20 are believed to be alive.
CNA
2 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
Court rejects Netanyahu's call to postpone graft trial hearings
JERUSALEM: An Israeli court on Friday (Jun 27) rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial, after United States President Donald Trump said the case should be cancelled. Netanyahu's lawyer on Thursday asked the court to excuse the leader from hearings over the next two weeks, saying he needed to concentrate on "security issues" after Israel's 12-day war with Iran. The Jerusalem district court said in a judgement published online that "in its current form (his request) does not provide a basis or detailed justification for the cancellation of the hearings". Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a "witch hunt", saying the trial "should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero". Netanyahu has thanked Trump for his support in Israel's brief war against Iran, which ended with a ceasefire on Jun 24. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have described the long-running trial as politically motivated. In a first case, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than US$260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets. During his current term since late 2022, Netanyahu's government has proposed a series of far-reaching judicial reforms that critics say were designed to weaken the courts. Netanyahu has requested multiple postponements in the trial since it began in May 2020, citing the war in Gaza which started in 2023, later fighting in Lebanon and this month the conflict with Iran.
News24
3 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Netanyahu asks court to postpone corruption trial summons
Netanyahu asked the court to postpone his testimony, citing security and diplomatic duties. Trump called for the Israeli PM's corruption trial to be cancelled, calling it a 'witch hunt.' Israel's opposition leader warned Trump not to interfere in the country's judiciary. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be cancelled altogether. In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Hadad said the premier's testimony should be delayed in light of 'regional and global developments'. 'The court is respectfully requested to order the cancellation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks,' the filing said. It said Netanyahu was 'compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance' following a brief conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held. Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a 'witch hunt'. READ | Trump demands Israel pardons 'great hero' Netanyahu, or abandons corruption case against him In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial 'should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero', after the end of a 12-day war with Iran. Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Trump for his 'heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people'. 'I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace,' Netanyahu wrote on X, sharing a copy of Trump's Truth Social post. Thank you @realDonaldTrump. I was deeply moved by your heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people. I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace. — Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 26, 2025 Israel's opposition leader warned Trump against interfering in Israel's internal affairs. 'We are thankful to President Trump, but... the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country,' Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet. Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving prime minister. In the trial that has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260 000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.
Washington Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mandatory military service for Israel's ultra-Orthodox tests Netanyahu's rule
JERUSALEM — The deadliest attack in Israel's history happened on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's watch. The country's economy is struggling under the weight of the ongoing war in Gaza . And Netanyahu is on trial for corruption. Yet a far more obscure issue is posing the greatest test to Netanyahu's lengthy rule : the draft of young ultra-Orthodox men to the military.
