An Israeli court has rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone his testimony in his corruption trial after US President Donald Trump said the case should be dropped.
On Thursday, Netanyahu's lawyer asked the court not to call the prime minister to testify for two weeks, saying he needs to focus on "security issues" following the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
The Jerusalem District Court said in the ruling published online that “the current form [of Netanyahu’s request] does not provide a basis or detailed justification for canceling the hearings.”
Trump said Thursday that the trial against Netanyahu was a "witch hunt," adding that the trial "should be immediately overturned or this great hero pardoned."
Netanyahu has thanked Trump for his support in Israel's brief war against Iran, which ended with a ceasefire reached on June 24.
The Israeli prime minister has denied any wrongdoing and his supporters have described the trial as politically motivated.
In the first criminal case, he and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than 260,000 euros in the form of luxury gifts such as cigarettes, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage from two Israeli media outlets.
During the current term, which began at the end of 2022, Netanyahu's government had proposed a series of judicial reforms that critics said were designed to weaken the role of the courts.
Netanyahu has requested postponements several times since his trial began in May 2020, citing the war in Gaza that began in 2023 and then the fighting in Lebanon, as well as the conflict with Iran this month./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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