Tel aviv: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in a Tel Aviv court for a hearing in his ongoing corruption trial, which commenced in May 2020. Despite the gravity of the charges, Netanyahu maintained a composed demeanor, accompanied by several ministers from his Likud party, while being confronted by protesters.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, this court appearance follows a controversial suggestion from US President Donald Trump, who proposed that Netanyahu should be pardoned for his involvement in three separate corruption cases. Trump’s remarks come amidst the backdrop of recent developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict, where hostages taken by Hamas were released as part of a US-brokered agreement to end the ongoing war in Gaza.
Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused in one case of accepting over $260,000 in luxury goods from affluent benefactors in exchange for political favors. In two additional cases, Netanyahu faces charges related to negotiating favorable press coverage from Israeli media outlets. Netanyahu has consistently denied all allegations, claiming they are part of a political conspiracy against him.
Since the beginning of his current term in late 2022, Netanyahu has proposed significant judicial reforms, which critics argue are attempts to undermine the judiciary. These proposals sparked widespread protests, which diminished only after the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In an address to the Knesset on Monday, Trump suggested Netanyahu should be pardoned, downplaying the charges related to luxury gifts by saying, “Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” He further questioned Israeli President Isaac Herzog about issuing a pardon for Netanyahu.
Additionally, Netanyahu is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on allegations of ordering war crimes during his government’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu, who holds the record for the longest-serving Israeli prime minister, has served 18 years in various terms since 1996.