JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked a court on Thursday to postpone his testimony in his long-running corruption trial, after US President Donald Trump called for the case to be canceled altogether.
In a filing to the tribunal, Netanyahu’s lawyer Amit Hadad said the premier’s testimony should be delayed in light of “regional and global developments.”
“The court is respectfully requested to order the cancelation of the hearings in which the prime minister was scheduled to testify in the coming two weeks,” the filing said.
It said Netanyahu was “compelled to devote all his time and energy to managing national, diplomatic and security issues of the utmost importance” following a brief conflict with Iran and during ongoing fighting in Gaza where Israeli hostages are held.
Trump on Wednesday described the case against Netanyahu as a “witch hunt.”
In a message on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the Netanyahu trial “should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero,” after the end of a 12-day war with Iran.
Netanyahu on Thursday thanked Trump for his “heartfelt support for me and your incredible support for Israel and the Jewish people.”
“I look forward to continue working with you to defeat our common enemies, liberate our hostages and quickly expand the circle of peace,” Netanyahu wrote on X, sharing a copy of Trump’s Truth Social post.
Israel’s opposition leader warned Trump against interfering in Israel’s internal affairs.
“We are thankful to President Trump, but... the president should not interfere in a judicial trial in an independent country,” Yair Lapid said in an interview with news website Ynet.
Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
In the trial that has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing.
In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors.
In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favorable coverage in two Israeli media outlets.
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Netanyahu asks court to postpone corruption trial summons: lawyer
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Netanyahu asks court to postpone corruption trial summons: lawyer
- US President Donald Trump called for the case against the Israeli prime minister to be canceled altogether
- Israel’s opposition leader warned Trump against interfering in Israel’s internal affairs
US State Dept approves ‘emergency’ weapons sale to Israel
- Requested sale of 1,000-pound (450-kilogram) bomb casings, worth an estimated $151.8 million
- Major US defense companies have agreed to quadruple production of advanced weapons
WASHINGTON: The US State Department approved the “emergency” sale of 12,000 bomb casings to Israel on Friday as the countries engage Iran in an escalating Middle East war.
The requested sale of 1,000-pound (450-kilogram) bomb casings, worth an estimated $151.8 million, was approved by the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, according to a press release.
“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the bureau said in a statement.
In addition to the munitions, the sale will include US government and contract engineering, logistics and technical support services, according to the release.
Major US defense companies have agreed to quadruple production of advanced weapons, President Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday, a week after the US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran.
While US arms sales typically require approval by Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a waiver bypassing the approval, to the consternation of some elected officials.
“The Secretary of State has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States,” the State Department said, citing the Arms Export Control Act.
Congressman Gregory Meeks, a Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said bypassing congressional review of the arms sale “exposes a stark contradiction at the heart of this administration’s case for war.”
“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war,” Meeks said in a statement. “Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story.”
“This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation.”
The requested sale of 1,000-pound (450-kilogram) bomb casings, worth an estimated $151.8 million, was approved by the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, according to a press release.
“The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the bureau said in a statement.
In addition to the munitions, the sale will include US government and contract engineering, logistics and technical support services, according to the release.
Major US defense companies have agreed to quadruple production of advanced weapons, President Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday, a week after the US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran.
While US arms sales typically require approval by Congress, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a waiver bypassing the approval, to the consternation of some elected officials.
“The Secretary of State has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States,” the State Department said, citing the Arms Export Control Act.
Congressman Gregory Meeks, a Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said bypassing congressional review of the arms sale “exposes a stark contradiction at the heart of this administration’s case for war.”
“The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted it was fully prepared for this war,” Meeks said in a statement. “Rushing to invoke emergency authority to circumvent Congress tells a different story.”
“This is an emergency of the Trump administration’s own creation.”
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