After two months of interruption, a crucial trial for the future of Benjamin Netanyahu is resuming. As fighting in Gaza continues to intensify between Israel and Hamas, domestic court cases resumed in Jerusalem this Monday, December 4, where the Israeli Prime Minister has been on trial since 2020 on charges of corruption, fraud and abuse of confidence.
The head of the Israeli government is suspected of having received large quantities of gifts worth around 700,000 shekels (nearly 176,000 euros) from wealthy personalities. Bribes which took the form of cigars, bottles of champagne and jewelry, distributed between 2007 and 2016.
Among his alleged benefactors, we find in particular the mogul Israeli from Hollywood, Arnon Milchan, notably producer of “Brazil”, “JFK”, “Pretty woman” and “Natural killers”. In return, Benjamin Netanyahu is suspected of having promoted a tax provision that could have brought millions of dollars to the film producer, before the Ministry of Finance finally vetoed it.
Accusations that the Prime Minister refutes, claiming to have only accepted gifts from friends without having requested them, and considering himself the victim of a witch hunt.
A first for a serving Prime Minister
This trial, a first in Israel for a serving Prime Minister, has lasted since 2020, but was interrupted on October 7 after the Hamas attack.
Last July, political scientist Samy Cohen explained to L’Express that the spread over time of this trial was notably due to a deliberate strategy by Benyamin Netanyahu, in order to hope to influence the future deliberations. “Remaining in power allows him to influence its progress, to drag it out, because the court takes into account the requests for postponements filed by his lawyers and justified by his responsibilities as Prime Minister. This strategy is bearing fruit, since the judges, tired , recently suggested that the parties seek a compromise,” said the emeritus research director at the Sciences Po International Research Center (CERI).
Not called to the stand yet
If this trial therefore resumes this Monday, after having been interrupted since October 7 and the Hamas terrorist attack, the Prime Minister will nevertheless not be called to the stand immediately. However, he could appear to testify in a few months, according to the Israeli press.
In Israel, political leaders close to the Prime Minister did not fail to criticize the resumption of hearings in the midst of the war against Hamas. These should in any case be reduced, due to the significant mobilization of reservists among the witnesses and lawyers.