Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived Monday morning at the Tel Aviv District Court.
Moments before the hearing began, he requested to cancel his scheduled testimony this Wednesday due to a “security matter,” adding, “It will be long; it’s not expected.”
Netanyahu asked the judges to allow him to show them an envelope discreetly. After reviewing its contents, the judges accepted his request and canceled Wednesday’s planned hearing.
Last week, Netanyahu gave an interview to Australian journalist Erin Molan, responding to US President Donald Trump’s letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu.
"Regarding the pardon request? I will think about it. I will definitely not admit guilt. I am grateful to President Trump; he speaks the truth. This trial is ridiculous. I spend three days a week, imagine, conducting a war and expanding peace, and three days in court talking about why my son Yair, when he was five, received a Bugs Bunny doll or cigars from friends. It’s ridiculous, the case is falling apart," Netanyahu said.
He added that the case against him and his family only embarrasses the prosecution. "The news stopped covering it; it’s embarrassing for the prosecution, and President Trump essentially called it a political witch hunt."
The Prime Minister also mentioned that the legal battle harms the interests of both Israel and the United States. "It harms both American and Israeli interests, which is also what Trump said. My time should be free to pursue the issues that will determine Israel's future and its place in the Middle East."