The lawyer for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a memo to the court on Friday stating that Netanyahu has requested a postponement of his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, scheduled to resume next week, citing the current security situation in the region. Netanyahu's trial is set to resume on Sunday after Israel lifted the state of emergency it imposed due to its war with Iran following a ceasefire announcement on Wednesday. Israel is scheduled to hold elections in October, and polls suggest that Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, the most right-wing in Israel's history, is likely to lose them. The defense stated it is ready to continue hearing from a prosecution witness. The memo submitted to the Jerusalem District Court read: "Due to secret security and diplomatic reasons related to recent unexpected events that occurred in the State of Israel and across the Middle East, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the trial for at least the next two weeks." The memo added that a sealed envelope containing details of the secret reasons has been handed over to the court, which will rule once the prosecution files its response. Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime while in office. He denies the charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust brought against him in 2019 after years of investigations. His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to prison time, has been postponed multiple times due to his official duties, with no end in sight. Netanyahu's standing has been affected by the charges against him, as well as the attack by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel in October 2023.
