Lead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his criminal trial was canceled for the second time in less than a week on Wednesday morning, after the Jerusalem District Court accepted a last-minute request from his defense team citing undisclosed security and diplomatic reasons, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

The hearing, scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. in the Tel Aviv District Court building, was expected to focus on Netanyahu's cross-examination in Case 2000, the media-bribery case involving Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon "Noni" Mozes, according to the Post's report from the previous day.

Coverage Comparison

All reports came from the Jerusalem Post, which provided consistent coverage across three articles dated May 18, May 19, and May 27, 2026. The earlier reports noted the cancellation of Monday's hearing, while the latest details the Wednesday cancellation. Despite the separate incidents, the coverage maintains a consistent framing, emphasizing the last-minute nature of the requests and the court's acceptance.

Key Claims

According to the Jerusalem Post's reporting, the defense team, led by attorney Noa Milstein, submitted a request on Monday stating that Netanyahu could not attend due to "security and diplomatic reasons" detailed in a sealed envelope. The filing indicated that Netanyahu's schedule would prevent him from testifying throughout the day.

The prosecution opposed a full cancellation of Monday's hearing, suggesting instead that the trial resume in the evening after the events detailed in Netanyahu's request concluded. However, the judges, headed by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, canceled the hearing entirely and set the next hearing for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

For Wednesday's hearing, the court received a clarification from the defense explaining the last-minute request not to appear. The request stated that Netanyahu had been occupied until late Tuesday night with diplomatic and security matters and had an early schedule on Wednesday. Netanyahu's attorney, Noa Milstein, offered to have his chief of staff appear before the court to explain the matter in greater detail. The prosecution said it could not take a position on the request because it had not been given the reasons behind it, according to the Post.

Perspectives

The cancellations have occurred against a backdrop of ongoing testimony. Netanyahu has testified in roughly 90 hearings, and the prosecution has estimated that only several full days remain before the end of its questioning, as noted by the Jerusalem Post. Since the outbreak of the Iran war, most of Netanyahu's testimony days have been shortened or canceled, the Post reported.

Netanyahu is charged in Case 2000 with fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes is charged with offering and promising a bribe. The trial continues to draw significant attention, with the latest cancellations raising questions about the impact on the proceedings.