Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 10, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 10, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his corruption trial testimony—initially scheduled to resume next week—citing classified security and diplomatic considerations tied to the region’s volatile situation.
By Steven Scheer
JERUSALEM, April 10 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked to postpone giving testimony in his long-running corruption trial that was set to resume next week, citing the ongoing security situation in the region, Netanyahu's lawyer said in a court filing on Friday.
Netanyahu's trial was set to resume on Sunday, after Israel lifted a state of emergency imposed over its war with Iran following Wednesday's ceasefire announcement. The defence said it was prepared to continue hearing the testimony of a prosecution witness.
"Due to classified security and diplomatic reasons connected ... to the dramatic events that have taken place in the State of Israel and throughout the Middle East in recent times, the Prime Minister will not be able to testify in the proceeding for at least the next two weeks," the filing to the Jerusalem District Court said.
It said that a sealed envelope detailing the classified reasons was delivered to the court, which will rule once the prosecution submits its response.
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019 after years of investigations.
His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to his official commitments, with no end date in sight.
The charges against Netanyahu, along with the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023, have damaged his standing. Israel is due to hold an election in October that Netanyahu's coalition, the most right-wing in Israel's history, is likely to lose, according to polls.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Netanyahu cited ongoing security and diplomatic concerns in Israel as the reason for requesting a postponement of his testimony.
The trial was scheduled to resume on Sunday after the lifting of Israel's state of emergency.
Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust from cases brought against him in 2019.
Yes, previous delays have occurred due to Netanyahu's official commitments and other factors.
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