Israeli court resumes Netanyahu’s corruption trial after pardon request

By Abdel Raouf Arnaout and Betul Yilmaz

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) – Israeli prosecutors on Wednesday resumed questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Tel Aviv District Court over the corruption charges against him.

This was the second hearing since Netanyahu submitted a request on Sunday to President Isaac Herzog to pardon him in his corruption trial, a move that sparked division between supporters and opponents.

Since the start of his trial, Netanyahu has refused to admit guilt, while Israeli law allows the president to grant a pardon only after a defendant acknowledges guilt.

According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the premier was questioned in Case 4000 in the Tel Aviv District Court in Wednesday’s session.

Case 4000, considered the most serious of the three cases the premier is charged with, involves allegations of providing regulatory and other benefits to Shaul Elovitch, the former owner of the Walla news site and the telecommunications giant Bezeq, in exchange for favorable media coverage.

Netanyahu left the courtroom twice due to interruptions to his statements, the broadcaster said.

A verbal argument occurred between Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, and the head of the prosecution team, Yehudit Tirosh, over objections from the prosecutors, it added.

In January, Netanyahu began interrogation sessions related to corruption charges in cases designated 1000, 2000, and 4000, all of which he denies.

The Israeli prime minister also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where over 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023.