Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a delay in court sessions set for this week to attend a medical procedure. Local media outlets quoted the reports as saying that in Netanyahu’s absence, Justice Minister Yariv Levin would act as interim prime minister, adding Defence Minister Israel Katz had been authorized to convene the security cabinet if needed.
Netanyahu will have prostate surgery under general anesthesia this Sunday, December 29, and will be hospitalized for a number of days. Because of the fear of rocket firing, the surgery will be performed in a fortified facility.
His lawyer Amit Hadad filed the request for postponing the hearings with the Jerusalem District Court and wrote, “At this stage, the court is requested to cancel the hearings scheduled for this week.” He added that further developments on the matter would be brought before the court.
It expressed good wishes to Netanyahu for a “refuah sheleima,” or speedy recovery, saying it had been indicated that the hearings would likely resume on Monday, January 6. It was the sixth time Netanyahu came before the court to respond to charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust after last testifying on December 10. Netanyahu has been indicted since 2019 on several charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. His trial started in 2020 over three main cases.
Prosecutors say that in one case, Mr. Netanyahu gave regulatory benefits worth about 1.8 billion shekels, or some $500 million, to Bezeq Telecom in return for positive media coverage for him and his wife, Sara, on a news website controlled by Shaul Elovitch, then the company’s chairman.
Another case alleges that Netanyahu and his wife received gifts of nearly 700,000 shekels (about $210,000) from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. This apparently included high-end items such as champagne and cigars, in exchange for which Netanyahu allegedly promised to help Milchan with business favors.
A third case involves allegations that Netanyahu negotiated with Arnon Mozes, the owner of the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, for favorable media coverage in exchange for Netanyahu’s purported promise to support legislation that would limit the growth of a competing newspaper.
