The court rejected the request submitted by the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana, to coordinate the hours and days of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s testimony in court. The court did accept Netanyahu's request to postpone the starting time of testimony on Wednesday, which will begin only at 14:30 and end at 20:00.
Netanyahu's request was granted due to the planned visit to the Knesset by the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, who is visiting Israel to open his country's embassy in Jerusalem.
During the special Knesset session, Prime Minister Netanyahu, Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid, and President Peña will speak.
Earlier, Finance Minister and Cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich appealed, on behalf of the security cabinet, to the Head of the Court System, Judge Tzachi Ouziel, as well as to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, requesting to postpone Netanyahu's court proceedings in light of the security situation.
He mentioned last night's cabinet meeting, during which ministers raised objections against setting a date for Netanyahu's testimony. "In the cabinet meeting held last night, all cabinet members strongly criticized the Prime Minister's need to appear in court three times a week for a full day each time, regarding a trial that has been ongoing for over a decade."
He wrote: "This situation is even more severe in light of the unique security situation resulting from the overnight coup in Syria and its direct implications on Israel's security. This is in addition to the ongoing conflict in Gaza and on seven fronts, as well as the heightened sensitivity on the Lebanese border. Under these circumstances, where the country's security is at stake, it is crucial for the Prime Minister to be fully focused on managing the security system."