تهم الفساد تلاحقه.. النيابة العامة ترفض تأجيل محاكمة نتنياهو

The Israeli Attorney General rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone his corruption trial for two weeks, claiming that he wants to dedicate his time to other issues following the war with Iran, including the matter of returning Israeli prisoners from Gaza.

However, the Attorney General rejected Netanyahu's request to delay his trial sessions, which are expected to resume next Monday, according to the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

The judges of the Central Court stated in their decision today (Friday): "Netanyahu's request in its current form does not provide any basis or detailed justification for canceling the hearings."

Netanyahu's questioning sessions began last January. He faces charges of corruption, bribery, and breach of trust. One of these cases involves Netanyahu and members of his family receiving valuable gifts from wealthy businessmen in exchange for providing favors and assistance to these individuals in various fields. He is also accused of negotiating with Arnon Mozes, the publisher of the private newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth," to obtain positive media coverage.

Netanyahu has been accused of providing favors to the former owner of the Israeli news site "Walla," Shaul Elovitch, who was responsible at the telecommunications company "Bezeq," in exchange for positive media coverage.

Netanyahu's trial in these cases began in 2020 and is still ongoing, and he denies the charges, claiming they are a "political campaign" aimed at toppling him.

For its part, the newspaper "Haaretz" focused on former President Donald Trump's call to cancel Netanyahu's trial, quoting the head of the Israeli Bar Association as saying that if the move was coordinated or requested by Netanyahu, it would be considered illegal behavior.

It was also considered a "direct intervention by a foreign influential party to pressure the judges and the Israeli court."

The newspaper "Maariv" noted a significant decline in American public support for Israel, especially among young people. It cited data presented by the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee, based on the latest public opinion polls in the United States, which it deemed concerning.

Meanwhile, the "New York Times" warned that Palestinians in Gaza face a deadly risk every day in accessing food due to the chaos surrounding aid distribution centers. It confirmed that hundreds have died just weeks after the activation of the controversial Israeli plan, which is based on a few aid distribution centers located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. It pointed out that this plan is supposed to be an alternative to the United Nations operations that relied on hundreds of distribution points spread across the entire territory of the Gaza Strip.