TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to a Tel Aviv court for the latest hearing in his long-running corruption trial.
The prime minister maintained a smiling demeanour while protesters heckled him and his entourage of conservative Likud party ministers en route to the tribunal.
This court appearance follows US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Netanyahu should receive a pardon in his three separate corruption cases.
The hearing also comes after hostages taken by Hamas returned as part of Trump’s US-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
In one case, Netanyahu and his wife Sara face accusations of accepting over $260,000 worth of luxury goods from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
The luxury goods allegedly included champagne, cigars, and jewellery from wealthy businessmen seeking favourable treatment.
In two other instances, Netanyahu faces charges of attempting to negotiate better press coverage from two Israeli media outlets.
The Israeli leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of a political conspiracy.
During his current term beginning in late 2022, Netanyahu proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics argued would weaken the courts.
Those reforms prompted massive nationwide protests that only subsided after the Gaza war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Trump addressed the Israeli parliament on Monday and publicly suggested Netanyahu should receive a pardon in the graft cases.
“Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked during his Knesset speech.
Trump then directly asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog why he didn’t grant Netanyahu a pardon.
The Israeli prime minister also faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for suspected war crimes in Gaza.
Netanyahu holds the record for most years served as Israel’s prime minister with 18 years across several terms since 1996. – AFP
