Netanyahu appears in court for the 31st time to answer corruption charges
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared for the 31st time in Tel Aviv District Court on Wednesday to answer corruption charges against him.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun to testify in the cases in which he is accused at the Tel Aviv District Court.
Netanyahu asked the court for an hour-long recess in the afternoon to make a phone call to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, who is in Qatar, to try to broker a prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza.
On Tuesday, an Israeli delegation arrived in Qatar to negotiate a prisoner exchange agreement and a ceasefire in Gaza.
But Netanyahu insisted on continuing the genocide, saying in press statements that there was no end to the war, but that a “ceasefire could be reached for a specific period, after which the fighting would resume until the end”.
Hamas has repeatedly affirmed its readiness to begin comprehensive negotiations to release Israeli hostages in one batch in exchange for an end to the genocide, the withdrawal of the Israeli army, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu’s interrogation sessions began last January.
Netanyahu faces charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust in what are known as Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000.
Former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit filed the indictment in late November 2019.
Case 1000 concerns allegations that Netanyahu and members of his family received expensive gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for facilitating and providing assistance to these figures in various fields.
In Case 2000, he is accused of negotiating with Arnon Moses, publisher of the private Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, to obtain positive media coverage.
Case 4000 concerns alleged facilitation of favors offered to the former owner of the Israeli Walla news website, Shaul Elovitch, who was also an executive at the Bezeq telecommunications company, in exchange for positive media coverage.
Netanyahu’s trial in these cases began in 2020 and is still ongoing.
He denies the charges, claiming they are a political campaign aimed at ousting him.
