Netanyahu requests another delay for graft trial court testimony

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyers on Sunday requested a new 15-day postponement to the start of his court testimony in his graft trial.

This follows a request earlier in November for a 10-week delay which was rejected by the court.

The prime minister’s legal team have argued that there will not be enough time to prepare his legal defence.

“Despite this supreme effort, the defense is not prepared, and will not be able to meet the goal of being prepared, for beginning the defense by December 2,” the Times of Israel quoted Netanyahu’s lawyers as saying.

The lawyers also argued that the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu had further obstructed their preparations.

Netanyahu was charged in January 2020 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases.

According to prosecutors, between 2007 and 2016 Netanyahu allegedly received gifts valued at 700,000 shekels ($195,000), including boxes of cigars, bottles of champagne and jewellery, in exchange for financial or personal favours.

Netanyahu, who is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to stand trial, denies any wrongdoing, saying gifts were only accepted from friends and without him having asked for them.