The trial for corruption of Benjamin Netanyahu, the only head of government in the history of Israel to be charged during his mandate, will begin on March 17, two weeks after elections crucial to his political survival, announced on Tuesday February 18 the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

The head of government will have to be present at the opening of his trial before the Jerusalem district court to attend the reading of the indictment, the ministry added.

The announcement of this date comes as the Israeli Prime Minister and head of the Likud, 70 years old, leads his campaign for the legislative elections of March 2, the third in less than a year in Israel, after polls n having failed to separate him from his rival Benny Gantz. The latter had refused after the September legislative elections to join a unity government led by Benjamin Netanyahu believing that the latter should first of all settle his disputes with the justice system before claiming power.

Israeli law provides that any minister who is subject to criminal prosecution must resign from office, but this does not apply to the Prime Minister. Although he can remain in office, Benjamin Netanyahu does not enjoy any immunity from justice. Benjamin Netanyahu had asked in early January the Parliament, the Knesset, to grant him immunity at the end of the next legislative elections on March 2, betting on his victory to obtain a majority and thus protect himself from justice. But the opposition parties convinced a majority of deputies to examine his request for immunity before the elections. Faced with the anticipated rejection of his request, the Prime Minister had withdrawn at the end of January in extremis his request for judicial immunity.

The Prime Minister was indicted in the autumn of corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust in three cases by the prosecutor Avichaï Mandelblit. He denies any embezzlement in the three corruption cases opened against him. The head of government and his wife Sara are suspected of having accepted gifts of $ 265,000 from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian tycoon James Packer.

Benjamin Netanyahu is also suspected of having tried to obtain more lenient cover from Yedioth Ahronoth by proposing to the owner of the largest Israeli newspaper to pass a law opposing a competing title.

He would have done the same with the company Bezeq Telecom Israel, granting him privileges in exchange for more favorable coverage on the part of an information site controlled by the telecom company.

With AFP and Reuters

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