Prosecution challenges Netanyahu request to change trial schedule

The prosecution said on Sunday that Netanyahu had said repeatedly that he would be able to continue as prime minister and defendant.

By MICHAEL STARR FEBRUARY 23, 2025 18:13

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the courtroom at the Distrcit court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the trial against him, February 17, 2025. (photo credit: Gideon Markowicz/POOL)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to shorten the number of corruption trial testimony hearings each week is in contradiction with his demands for more and exhaustive sessions, the prosecution argued Sunday in a filing calling for the Jerusalem District Court to reject the Israeli leader's petition.

Following the Netanyahu defense team's Thursday proposal to schedule Netanyahu corruption trial testimonies on Mondays and Wednesdays, the prosecution noted that the defense had concurrently sought to testify at least another 33 hearings.

"This is a testimony of unparalleled scope, since to the best of the prosecutor's investigation, there has been no case in the entire history of Israeli law in which a defendant testified in the primary testimony over such a large number of sessions," said the prosecution.

The prosecution said that the testimony was already unusually long, with only eleven hearings since December 10, and if Netanyahu's request was granted the process could take another eight weeks -- if there weren't any other hearing cancellations. In the best case scenario, a reconfigured testimony schedule would mean that Netanyahu's testimony would end in May.

"On the one hand, he [Netanyahu] seeks to testify to an exceptional length of testimony; and on the other hand, he seeks to ensure that the hearing will not be conducted efficiently but will last many months," said the prosecution.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the courtroom at the Distrcit court in Tel Aviv, before the start of his testimony in the trial against him, February 17, 2025. (credit: Gideon Markowicz/POOL)

The defense's proposal, that in between the prime minister's testimonies other witnesses be heard, would contaminate Netanyahu's testimony and disrupt its continuity.

The complex political situation

In a closed hearing on Wednesday, the defense had made the request in light of the demands of Netanyahu's leadership position during wartime and a complex political situation. The prosecution said on Sunday that Netanyahu had said repeatedly that he would be able to continue as prime minister and defendant.

Netanyahu had previously requested that the court hold two hearings a week in December, but had been denied by the judges. The court had then determined that there was no compelling reason to shorten the weekly schedule, though in practice there has been no week with three Netanyahu hearings.

"The things that were true in December 2024 are also true in February 2025," said the prosecution.

The Netanyahu team had also requested Thursday that the Monday hearing be cancelled, but on Sunday the court ruled that the session would continue as planned. A separate ruling would be issued on the proposal for a shortened weekly schedule.