The central court in occupied Jerusalem on March 17 set the date for the first session of the trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is annexed to three corruption files.
In a brief statement, the Justice Ministry said, "You will read the indictment in the presence of Netanyahu on March 17," at the Jerusalem District Court, two weeks after the crucial legislative elections for the prime minister who is struggling for his political survival.
The ministry added that Netanyahu should be present at the session, which will witness the reading of the list of charges against him.
The attorney general of the government, Avichai Mendelblit, has brought three charges against Netanyahu, which are bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Request and concede
Netanyahu was forced to waive his immunity request, which he submitted to the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) to prevent him from appearing before the judiciary, after he realized that he had no majority in the Knesset committee empowered to grant him parliamentary immunity.
Netanyahu's opponents are waging a propaganda campaign against him, accusing him of being incompetent and unable to manage Israel's security, political and social affairs alike.
Netanyahu denies any charges were brought against him in three corruption cases. He is the first Israeli prime minister to face charges while in office.
Under Israeli law, the prime minister will only step down if convicted and after all opportunities for appeal have been exhausted.