Uncovering the Latest on Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial: Everything You Need to Know

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In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial for corruption has resumed. Many people have been protesting against the government’s plan to change the judicial system. Netanyahu is accused of doing fraud, breaking trust and accepting bribes from some rich and powerful people. He denies any wrongdoings.

Some people say that Netanyahu wants to make the courts weaker and change how the justice system works as a means for him to not have to face his trial, but he denies this.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been charged with corruption, causing a lot of political noise with people voting five times in four years to decide whether he should stay in power. After losing, he got himself back as Prime Minister last year despite the charges against him. As per Israel’s law, the Prime Minister is not needed to step-down while being tried for these allegations. That’s basically all you need to know about this trial.

WHAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?

In May 2020, a trial began with more than 40 people giving their testimony. These people, who were close to Prime Minister Netanyahu before, told the court about not just what had happened, but also revealed information about his character and how he took advantage of taxpayers’ money. One former aide said that he was very careful with his public image; another said that expensive things like champagne and cigars were given to him and his wife as gifts.

The trial that was happening has been put on hold recently because an Israeli news station reported police may have used special phones to spy. The trial is starting again after the Jewish Passover holiday, and a high-ranking policeman will be speaking as part of it. During his testimony, the defense plans to see if the police did their job properly. So why is this trial taking so long?

Prime Minister Netanyahu is being tried for three separate cases. They are called Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000. The prosecutors say he gave special treatments to some newspaper owners and other famous people in return for good press coverage and expensive presents!

Prosecutors are trying to prove their case in court each week by asking witnesses questions. Out of the 300 witnesses, sadly three have passed away since the trial started and there will likely be less witnesses when it ends.

People are saying that the defense team in this court trial is taking their time and trying to delay things by asking for extra time, taking a long time to complete cross examinations and doing other things. But someone close to them said this isn’t true – they think it’s actually the prosecution who is taking too long because they called so many witnesses. This person talked about the details of the trial but asked not to be named in public.

In the next few weeks, important people in politics are going to share their stories in court. These include Yair Lapid (opposition leader), Gilad Erdan (ambassador to the United Nations), and Ari Harow (former chief of staff). Their testimonies could make the prime minister look bad.

The people who are accusing Netanyahu will finish presenting their case soon. Then, the people who are defending him will start to bring in witnesses which could include Netanyahu himself. We don’t have a specific date yet, but experts think that the verdict will come out within two years.

Prime Minister Netanyahu from Israel said his legal cases are not looking too well, but experts disagree and don’t know how the court’s decision will turn out. If the judges decide that he is guilty, he would need to leave his job as Prime Minister after 15 years of being in power.

The court may decide to punish Netanyahu if he’s found guilty, and both parties (Netanyahu and the state) can appeal that decision. This means that the case has to go all the way up to the Supreme Court, which will take a long time before it’s over.

Before the court finally makes a decision, it’s possible that both sides will come to an agreement called “plea deal”. That would probably mean that Netanyahu won’t stay in politics for much longer.

Amir Fuchs, who works at a think tank called Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem, said that this plan to change the judiciary system is a really big factor when it comes to deciding what will happen with Netanyahu’s future.

The plan has been stopped for the time being because lots of people complained. But if it starts again, Netanyahu could change the current attorney general and put someone in who will throw out his charges. He can also choose the judges who decide any future appeal which would help him avoid going to court or having his case cancelled.