Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial was canceled again on Monday morning, after the Jerusalem District Court accepted a last-minute request from his defense team citing undisclosed security and diplomatic reasons that prevented him from appearing.
The hearing, which had been scheduled to continue at 9:30 a.m. in the Tel Aviv District Court building, was expected to focus on Netanyahu’s cross-examination in Case 2000, the media-bribery case involving Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon “Noni” Mozes.
According to the request submitted by attorney Noa Milstein on behalf of Netanyahu’s legal team, the prime minister could not attend the hearing because of “security and diplomatic reasons” that were detailed to the court in a sealed envelope. The filing said the schedule presented to the judges showed Netanyahu would be unable to testify throughout the day, until late evening.
The prosecution opposed a full cancellation. In its response, the state said that while it understood the court had already ruled the hearing could not begin before noon, the trial should resume once the events detailed in Netanyahu’s request ended, and continue into the evening.
Since Iran war, most of Netanyahu’s testimony days have been shortened or canceled
Later Monday morning, after reviewing the updated notice and additional material submitted for their review, the panel headed by Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman canceled the hearing entirely. The next hearing was set for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.
The decision came after a series of recent disruptions in Netanyahu’s testimony. Since court activity resumed following the war with Iran, most of Netanyahu’s scheduled testimony days have either been shortened or canceled.
Monday’s cancellation also came as Netanyahu is managing a broad set of simultaneous pressures: regional security volatility after the Iran war, renewed concern over escalation involving Iran and its proxies, and a domestic coalition crisis centered on the haredi draft bill.
In terms of the trial, Netanyahu is in the final stretch of his testimony, after dozens of court appearances. He has testified in 87 hearings, with the prosecution estimating that roughly seven full days of testimony remain, followed by a shorter redirect examination by his defense attorney.
Case 2000 centers on conversations between Netanyahu and Mozes. According to the indictment, the two discussed a possible arrangement under which Mozes would improve Netanyahu’s coverage in Yediot Aharonot in exchange for steps that would limit Israel Hayom, a rival newspaper whose free distribution posed a major economic threat to Yediot Aharonot. Netanyahu is charged in the case with fraud and breach of trust, while Mozes is charged with offering and promising a bribe. Both deny the allegations.
The broader trial, which began in 2020, includes three cases. Netanyahu is charged with fraud and breach of trust in Cases 1000 and 2000, and with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in Case 4000. He has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly argued that the cases against him are politically motivated.
The repeated delays have unfolded in parallel with President Isaac Herzog’s effort to explore whether the sides can enter talks toward a possible plea arrangement. Herzog has urged dialogue between Netanyahu’s defense team and the prosecution before he considers Netanyahu’s separate pardon request, while Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has said her office is prepared to hold contacts without preconditions and without halting the trial.
For now, however, the criminal proceeding remains formally on track - even as the practical pace of Netanyahu’s testimony continues to depend on a shifting security, diplomatic, and political calendar.