Israeli justice postponed the hearing of Benjamin Netanyahu from the corruption process, after Donald Trump's statements
Benjamin Netanyahu, Photo: Ronen Rumulun / Upi / Profimedia
The District Court of Jerusalem has canceled the next week's hearings in the long corruption process of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accepting a request that the Israeli leader has formulated by invoking classified diplomatic and security reasons, reports Reuters.
It is unclear whether the decision taken on Sunday was influenced by the message transmitted on the social networks by the US President. Donald Trump has suggested that the process could interfere with the ability of the Israeli Prime Minister to join negotiations with the Palestinian organization Hamas and Iran.
The judgment, consulted by Reuters, states that the new reasons for Netanyahu, the head of the Israeli spy agency Mosad and the head of the military intelligence services justify the annulment of the hearings.
In 2019, Benjamin Netanyahu was accused of taking bribes, fraud and abuse of trust, accusations he denies. He claims that the open process against him is a witch hunt orchestrated by the political left, in order to remove a democratic right leader.
The court initially rejected the request
On Friday, the Court had rejected Netanyahu's request to postpone the hearing for the next two weeks of diplomatic and security reasons following the 12 -day conflict between Israel and Iran, which ended on Tuesday. The prime minister was to be heard on Monday, June 30.
“It is crazy what prosecutors get out of control of Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump wrote in a post on Social Truth.
Netanyahu redistributed the posting of the US president and added: “Thank you again, Donald Trump. Together, we will make the Middle East again great!”
The posting of the American leader has linked the legal action in Israel to the aid granted by the US.
“The United States spends billions of dollars a year, much more than for any other nation, to protect and support Israel. We will not accept this,” Trump said.
The US president was criticized by Yair Lapid, a leader in the Israeli opposition, who said Trump “should not mix in a judicial process in an independent country,” according to AFP.
In a first file, Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting luxury goods worth over 260,000 in exchange for political favors.
In two other species, the Israeli prime minister is accused of trying to negotiate a more favorable media coverage from two Israeli press institutions.
