Netanyahu in Court for Corruption Trial Next Month

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears in court on February 8 in the corruption lawsuit against him.

 

That would happen next Wednesday, but the court in Jerusalem decided to postpone it last week because of the country’s tightened lockdown.

Prime Minister Netanyahu, 71, has been prosecuted since May for bribery and fraud, among other things. He sees the charges as a witch hunt to drive him out of office.

Next month, Netanyahu will have a chance to present his views on the charges to the judges. It is the first time that a sitting prime minister in Israel has been charged.

Prosecutors have called more than 300 witnesses, one of the reasons for postponing the trial.

Netanyahu wants to be reelected in March. Opposition leader Yair Lapid believes the Likud leader cannot lead the country while on trial.