Jerusalem, 27 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony in his ongoing corruption trial was canceled on Monday shortly before it was due to begin, following a request from his legal team that cited security-related constraints.
The hearing, set to take place at the Jerusalem District Court, would have marked Netanyahu’s return to the witness stand after a two-month break. Instead, his attorney, Amit Hadad, asked the court to postpone the appearance less than two hours before proceedings were scheduled to start.
In a brief statement, the court confirmed it had received the request and would consider it formally. “A proper request will be submitted later today, and a decision will be made accordingly,” it said.
According to the defense submission, the reason for the delay relates to what was described as “the Prime Minister’s security schedule, which will be detailed in a sealed envelope submitted to the court and the prosecution.”
The cancellation adds to a pattern of repeated postponements in recent weeks. Netanyahu last took the stand on February 24, and several subsequent hearings have been delayed after his lawyers cited classified or sensitive constraints.
The prosecution has repeatedly objected to such delays, arguing that the justifications are insufficient. In earlier filings, it stated there were “no urgent and concrete security needs” that would prevent testimony, adding that court proceedings should not be adjusted around the defendant’s schedule. It also stressed that “the clear and distinct public interest is in advancing the trial and completing cross-examination.”
The legal proceedings have also become increasingly intertwined with political discussion. The New York Times reported that President Isaac Herzog is not currently moving toward granting a pardon in Netanyahu’s cases. Instead, he is reportedly encouraging efforts to reach a negotiated plea bargain between the parties.
The President’s Office did not deny the report, saying that Herzog believes “it is right, before addressing the pardon request itself, to exhaust a process that could lead to an agreement between the sides outside the courtroom.”
At this stage, it remains unclear when Netanyahu will next be required to testify. The court calendar may complicate efforts to complete testimony in the near term. The current judicial session ends on July 21, after which Israeli courts go into summer recess until early September.
The charges stem from three separate police investigations. Netanyahu denies all wrongdoing.
In the case known as the “Bezeq Affair,” Netanyahu, while serving as communications minister, is accused of granting regulatory benefits to the Bezeq telecom giant. In return, Bezeq’s majority shareholder, Shaul Elovitch, allegedly provided Netanyahu with favorable coverage on the Walla news site, which he owned.
In the second investigation, known as the “Yediot Affair,” Netanyahu allegedly helped Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon Mozes by advancing regulations on newspaper distribution to Mozes’s advantage. In exchange, Mozes is accused of offering Netanyahu favorable coverage.
In a separate investigation known as the “Gifts Affair,” Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting $200,000 in gifts from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in exchange for assistance with a U.S. visa and changes to tax provisions benefiting Milchan. This case is widely considered to be the most serious against Netanyahu.
No serving Israeli prime minister has ever been indicted on criminal charges. Ehud Olmert stepped down in 2008 ahead of his own indictment for corruption. Olmert was eventually convicted and served two-thirds of a 27-month prison sentence.