Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Israel: Netanyahu’s trial postponed

The judges hearing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s case have granted his request to cancel a hearing scheduled for Monday, November 10. In an address to the court, Netanyahu, through his lawyer Amit Hadad, said that he had “urgent political meetings” scheduled from 10:00 to 14:00. This refers to meetings with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are arriving in Israel.

In addition, the prime minister noted in his address to the court that in the afternoon of the same day there would be a meeting in the Knesset, in which he was obliged to participate. The prosecutor’s office did not object to the request to cancel the trial.

In his address to the judges, lawyer Hadad said: “We have checked the possibility of holding the meeting at a different time or rescheduling political meetings. After checking, the head of the prime minister’s office clarified that it is not possible to change the time of political meetings due to restrictions related to the schedule of the prime minister and the mentioned political figures.”

The appeal also states: “It is impossible to hold a meeting tomorrow at later hours, since a meeting is scheduled in the Knesset from 16:00 to 18:30 at the request of 40 deputies. This is a discussion, according to the law (Basic Law: The Knesset and the Rules of the Knesset), requires the mandatory presence of the Prime Minister throughout the entire meeting.”

►Three days of testimony per week for the Prime Minister

Late last month, judges rejected a request by Prime Minister Netanyahu and his lawyers not to hold four court hearings a week. According to the court’s decision, starting in November, hearings in the case will be held on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the prime minister still required to testify under cross-examination three times a week.

The judges’ decision to hold four hearings per week was made back in August of this year. Then the judges noted that this decision was made “due to the need to advance the process” after lengthy red tape and numerous cancellations of meetings. In September, rejecting another request to reduce the number of hearings, the judges wrote: “The trial has been going on for more than five years. We still have a long way to go. The defense phase has just begun and is moving slowly. It is our duty to decide the case, and this requires a significant increase in the pace of the trial.”

Since cross-examination began, nearly half of the case’s scheduled hearings have been cancelled, largely at the request of the prime minister. Late last month, judges hearing the prime minister’s case said they had agreed to cancel a hearing scheduled for last Monday because of urgent defense meetings that required his presence.