Israel: postponement of the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu due to confinement

Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu on December 19, 2020. REUTERS - AMIR COHEN

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

A respite for the Israeli Prime Minister in the face of justice.

Benyamin Netanyahu's trial was scheduled to resume next week, but the hearing is ultimately postponed due to general containment due to the coronavirus.

Benyamin Netanyahu is on trial for corruption in particular and he has done everything in recent weeks to impose strict restrictive measures.

For the Israeli opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu has locked the country down for his own sake.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Jerusalem

Sami Boukhelifa

Benyamin Netanyahu is indicted for corruption, fraud and breach of trust.

This is a first in Israel's history for a sitting head of government.

His trial begins in May 2020. The Israeli Prime Minister then appears before his judges.

He states that he understood the charges against him.

Accusations that he later qualifies as "

ridiculous

".

Since then, there has been a long procedural river.

But his presence was not required until January 13, when he had to appear before the judges again.

A resounding trial: more than 300 witnesses were to take part.

Only here, the country is once again paralyzed.

No choice, Israeli justice announces postponing the hearing to a later date.

Faced with a surge in new cases of Covid-19, Benyamin Netanyahu fought hard to impose general containment.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid sees it as a political maneuver.

For Benny Gantz, Minister of Defense and Justice, opponent of Benyamin Netanyahu, the problem is not the postponement of the hearing, but of having a head of government "

indicted

".

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

  • Israel

  • Benjamin Netanyahu

  • Coronavirus

  • Justice