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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his ongoing criminal trial was abruptly canceled on Monday, about 90 minutes before the hearing was scheduled to begin, following a request from his attorney, Amit Hadad, according to the Jerusalem Post. The cancellation is the latest in a series of delays that have prevented Netanyahu from returning to the witness stand since late February.

Coverage Comparison

Two reports from the Jerusalem Post, published on April 19 and April 27, provide the basis for this article. The earlier report details a decision by the presiding judges to hear another defense witness on Monday, effectively postponing Netanyahu's testimony. The later report, filed on the day of the scheduled hearing, confirms that the session was abruptly canceled.

Key Claims

The Jerusalem Post's April 19 report states that Netanyahu's testimony has been delayed again, with no return to the witness stand expected before next week. The delay is attributed to a decision by the presiding judges—Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham—to hear testimony from Ilanit Filber, the wife of former Netanyahu confidant and state witness Shlomo Filber. Shlomo Filber is a central figure in Case 4000, the Bezeq-Walla affair, and the only one of the three cases in which Netanyahu faces a bribery charge.

The postponement followed a request from the defense to cancel the prime minister's testimony due to what it called "security-diplomatic reasons," detailed in sealed materials provided to both the court and the prosecution. The prosecution opposed the move, arguing that absent concrete and urgent security needs, Netanyahu should adjust his schedule to the court's calendar, stressing the public interest in advancing the trial and completing his cross-examination.

According to Reuters and other coverage cited by the Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu's last confirmed testimony was on February 23, before a later war-related court shutdown and subsequent postponement requests.

The April 27 report confirms that the hearing scheduled for that day was canceled abruptly, with a formal request expected to be submitted to the Courts Administration later in the morning. The report does not provide additional details on the reasons for the cancellation or the expected next steps.

Perspectives

The defense, through Attorney Amit Hadad, has sought to postpone Netanyahu's testimony, citing security-diplomatic considerations contained in sealed materials. The prosecution has opposed these delays, urging the court to prioritize the trial's progress and the completion of Netanyahu's cross-examination. The court has shown willingness to accommodate the defense's requests, as evidenced by the decision to hear another witness on a day originally set for Netanyahu's testimony. The repeated postponements have drawn attention to the challenges of balancing a prime minister's duties with the demands of a criminal trial.