Israeli Court postpones Netanyahu's testimony by a week, citing 'security-diplomatic' reasons

Tel Aviv [Israel], April 20 : The Jerusalem District Court has ecancelld Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled testimony in his ongoing corruption trial for the current week, acceding to a defence request citing "security and diplomatic" considerations, according to reports by the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post.

According to The Times of Israel, the court approved Netanyahu's request to postpone his appearance with another witness set to testify in his place. A hearing scheduled for Tuesday has also been cancelled.

While Netanyahu's legal team argued that he was unable to testify this week for "security and diplomatic" reasons, the State Attorney's Office opposed the decision.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the decision was issued Sunday by a panel of Jerusalem District Court Judges, Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham, who agreed to hear another defence witness instead. The prosecution argued in its response that, absent urgent and immovable security needs, Netanyahu should align his schedule with court proceedings, highlighting the public interest in advancing the trial and completing his cross-examination.

The court will now hear testimony from Ilanit Filber, the wife of former Netanyahu aide and state witness Shlomo Filber. Filber is a central figure in "Case 4000", also known as the Bezeq-Walla affair, the most serious of the cases against Netanyahu, in which he faces bribery charges.

Shlomo Filber served as Communications Ministry director-general under Netanyahu.

Prosecutors allege that Netanyahu directed regulatory decisions benefiting businessman Shaul Elovitch's Bezeq telecom company in exchange for favourable coverage on the Walla news website. Netanyahu has denied the allegations, including claims surrounding a key "directive meeting" with Filber.

Shlomo Filber's own testimony in 2022 was marked by inconsistencies and a softening of key claims, prompting the State Attorney's Office to later seek the annulment of his state witness agreement, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Netanyahu's trial remains in the cross-examination phase of his testimony. He first took the stand in December 2024, with prosecutors beginning cross-examination in June 2025 following dozens of defence-led sessions. Before a war-related court suspension, proceedings had focused largely on "Case 4000", according to the Jerusalem Post.

The reshuffling of hearings comes during a shortened court week in Israel, with the cancelled Tuesday session falling on the eve of Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day), followed immediately by Yom HaAtzmaut (Independence Day).

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