Netanyahu Trial Resumes After Summer Recess
The proceedings in the “Thousands Cases” will resume at the Jerusalem District Court following the approximately month-and-a-half court recess. The first hearing will be technical, after which the defense will continue calling its witnesses.
Key facts
- •Court: Jerusalem District Court
- •Stage: Presentation of the defense evidence
- •Recess: Approximately a month and a half
- •Schedule after the holidays: Five hearings per week
- •Case 4000: Netanyahu, Shaul and Iris Elovitch
- •The proceeding number and the precise hearing date are not specified in the source
What Stage Has the Trial Reached?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his testimony about two months before the trial resumed. Before the recess, attorneys for Netanyahu and for the couple Shaul and Iris Elovitch questioned investigators and public officials whom they had summoned, in an effort to bolster the defendants’ versions of events.
What Did the Court Decide?
The judges ruled that after the holidays, the trial will be held five days a week, despite objections from the defense attorneys. Previously, hearings had been scheduled four times a week, three of them devoted to Netanyahu’s testimony; many hearings were shortened or canceled. The accelerated pace is linked to the expected retirement of Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, after which she will have two years to prepare the verdict.
Who Will Testify Next?
According to the source, Ze’ev Elkin is expected to testify on Monday, while police officer Shimon Sharvit, who holds the rank of deputy commissioner, will testify on Tuesday and Wednesday. The precise final schedule and the date on which the defense case will conclude are not specified in the article.
The Charges and the Judges’ Position
In the cases under consideration, Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. In Case 4000, the former owners of “Bezeq–Walla,” Shaul and Iris Elovitch, are also defendants. According to the source’s report, the judges stated that Netanyahu’s testimony had not changed their position regarding the difficulties with the bribery charge; no final decision has yet been issued in the case.
What this means for you
The resumption of proceedings does not mean that a verdict is being issued: the trial is still at the defense stage, after which the court will have to assess all the evidence. For ordinary citizens, this demonstrates that even in a major criminal proceeding, the schedule can be accelerated through an administrative decision by the court, but the charges are considered unproven until a final judicial decision is rendered.
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