Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to oppose on Monday a decision to expand his criminal trial schedule to five days a week beginning in October.
The Jerusalem District Court panel hearing the case announced on Wednesday that, after Netanyahu completed his own testimony, the remaining proceedings would return to Jerusalem. Beginning October 4, after the High Holy Days, hearings are scheduled to take place from Sunday through Thursday.
At a hearing in Jerusalem on Sunday, Netanyahu’s defense attorney, Amit Hadad, told the panel that his team was “completely shocked” by the decision, calling it a “critical injury” to the defense.
“We will not be able to do that,” Hadad said, adding that the defense would fully address the issue on Monday, when Netanyahu would attend.
It remained unclear on Sunday whether Netanyahu himself would appear at the Jerusalem District Court. Although the case was filed in Jerusalem, Netanyahu’s testimony was heard at the Tel Aviv District Court building because of security considerations.
Security officials met on Sunday afternoon to examine whether Netanyahu could attend the Jerusalem court rather than have the hearing relocated to Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu's trial timeline
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases. His trial began in 2020.
He first took the witness stand in December 2024, approximately eight years after police opened the investigations that developed into one of Israel’s most consequential criminal cases.
His testimony began with direct examination by his defense team, during which he set out his version of events and responded to the allegations in the indictment.
In June 2025, the prosecution began its cross-examination, which ended earlier this month. Cross-examination allowed prosecutors to test Netanyahu’s account, confront him with documents and previous statements, and challenge gaps or inconsistencies in his testimony.
The defense then conducted a more limited re-examination, intended to clarify matters raised in cross-examination rather than reopen Netanyahu’s testimony from the beginning.
The same sequence is expected to apply to the remaining defense witnesses: direct examination by the defense, cross-examination by prosecutors, and, where necessary, limited re-examination. Once the evidence stage concludes, the prosecution and defense will submit their closing summaries before the three-judge panel issues a verdict.
The trial had initially been heard three days a week, taking into account the court's and the prime minister's schedules. In September 2025, the judges expanded the schedule to four days a week to accelerate proceedings, particularly ahead of presiding Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman’s expected retirement in March 2028.
The defense strongly opposed that change, arguing that it would impose an unsustainable burden on a legal team that also represents other clients. The panel ultimately retained the four-day schedule.
The new five-day order directs the defense to prepare witnesses for every hearing day and to arrange alternative witnesses where necessary to avoid cancellations.