JERUSALEM: Israel’s attorney general on Thursday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to postpone a court hearing over corruption allegations against him, media reports said.
The prosecutor’s office said Netanyahu had requested “that the hearing be delayed due to the dissolution of the Knesset and the elections due on September 17” to a date after the polls, the Ynet news site said.
After considering the matter, the prosecutor’s office said “nothing justified agreeing to the request to change the dates fixed for the hearing,” it added.
Netanyahu is facing possible indictment for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in the months ahead and is reportedly seeking legislation in the new parliament that would result in him being granted immunity.
Last month, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit pushed back to October the date by which Netanyahu needed to respond to the allegations against him.
The prosecutor’s office stressed that the hearing scheduled for October 2 and 3 would not be delayed “not even for one day.”
“The new elections constitute exceptional circumstances to which exceptional attention must be accorded,” Netanyahu responded on Thursday.
Netanyahu called new elections late last month after failing to form a coalition.
Israel will now head to the polls again in September, just over five months after an April election that saw Netanyahu and his right-wing and religious allies win a majority.
Netanyahu is also on track to become Israel’s longest-serving prime minister in July, surpassing founding father David Ben-Gurion.
Netanyahu fails to get postponement of corruption court hearing
Netanyahu fails to get postponement of corruption court hearing
- The prosecutor’s office said “nothing justified agreeing to the request to change the dates fixed for the hearing”
- Netanyahu is facing possible indictment for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in the months ahead
Syria participates in coalition meeting against Daesh for first time
- Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, intelligence chief Hussein Al-Salama attend gathering in Saudi capital
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic has participated in a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh for the first time since the group’s establishment in 2014.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani and intelligence chief Hussein Al-Salama attended the meeting of the political directors of the coalition, which was held in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Monday.
Syria’s participation in the meeting, which aims to combat the cross-border terror group, marks a significant shift in regional and international counterterrorism efforts.
The country became the 90th member of the coalition in November following President Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington and his meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The visit resulted in a declaration of political cooperation, without military commitments, positioning Syria as a partner in efforts to combat Daesh and support regional stability, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency.
Al-Shaibani said: “Our meeting today was constructive and fruitful, and we emphasized that supporting Syria is a shared responsibility to enhance security and stability.
“We thank the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and all participating countries for their efforts and support for Syria and its people.”
