JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be cancelled altogether.
In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad said the Israeli premier’s testimony should be delayed in light of “regional and global developments”.
“The court is respectfully requested to order the cancellation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks,“ the filing said.
It said Netanyahu was “compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance” following a brief conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.
Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt”.
In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero”, after the end of a 12-day war with Iran.
Israel’s opposition leader on Thursday warned Trump against interfering in Israel’s internal affairs.
“We are thankful to President Trump, but… the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country,“ Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet.
Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
In the trial that has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.
In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours.
In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.
