Court cancels Israel PM Netanyahu's trial hearings this week
By Maayan Lubell
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -The Jerusalem District Court cancelled this week's hearings in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial, accepting a request the Israeli leader made citing classified diplomatic and security grounds.
It was unclear whether a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump influenced the court's decision. Trump suggested the trial could interfere with Netanyahu's ability to join negotiations with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran.
The ruling, seen by Reuters, said that new reasons provided by Netanyahu, the head of Israel's spy agency Mossad and the military intelligence chief justified cancelling the hearings.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. He has cast the trial against him as an orchestrated left-wing witch-hunt meant to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader.
On Friday, the court rejected a request by Netanyahu to delay his testimony for the next two weeks because of diplomatic and security matters following the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which ended last Tuesday.
He was due to take the stand on Monday for cross-examination.
"It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu," Trump said in a Truth Social post. He said Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to "stand for this".
A spokesperson for the Israeli prosecution declined to comment on Trump's post. Netanyahu on X retweeted Trump's post and added: "Thank you again, @realDonaldTrump. Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!"
Trump said Netanyahu was "right now" negotiating a deal with Hamas, though neither leader provided details, and officials from both sides have voiced scepticism over prospects for a ceasefire soon.
On Friday, the Republican president told reporters he believed a ceasefire was close.
Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli bombings of Iran's nuclear facilities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
President Trump's Official Golf Handicap Is Making Headlines
President Trump's Official Golf Handicap Is Making Headlines originally appeared on The Spun. President Trump's official golf handicap is making headlines following his weekend out on the course. Advertisement The 79-year-old President of the United States spent some time at his golf course in Northern Virginia. President Trump played with some U.S. Senators and key Washington, D.C. figures, ahead of the Fourth of July holiday week. "As the Senate wrestled with whether to begin debate on President Donald Trump's megabill, a few key Republican allies spent part of the afternoon golfing with the president at his nearby club in Northern Virginia," USA TODAY wrote. "Trump, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and GOP Sens. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina played golf a few hours before the Senate voted to debate the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill.'" President Trump has spent a lot of time on the course as of late. But what is his actual handicap? DORAL, FL - OCTOBER 27: Former President Donald Trump, plays in the ProAm ahead of the LIV Golf Team Championship, on October. 27, 2022, at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Doral, FL. (Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)President Trump's official golf handicap is a 2.8 in the Golf Handicap Information Network. It's the lowest handicap of any U.S. president in history. Advertisement Legendary PGA Tour star Jack Nicklaus has said that Trump loves golf "more than he loves money." President Trump has been nicknamed the "golfer-in-chief." He's only been playing since college, though. It was not a sport he played while he was young. "I played golf with my friends, and then I started to play with the hustlers. And I learned a lot. I learned about golf, I learned about gambling. I learned about everything," Trump told Golf Digest. President Trump has clearly taken to the sport in his older years, as he still hits up the course several times per month. Clearly, his game is better for it, as a handicap of 2.8 is extremely impressive for anyone, but certainly someone approaching 80 years old. President Trump's Official Golf Handicap Is Making Headlines first appeared on The Spun on Jun 29, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
CNN
17 minutes ago
- CNN
Sen. Thom Tillis announces he's not seeking reelection, a day after voting against Trump's agenda bill
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced Sunday he is not seeking reelection next year. The North Carolina senator's announcement came a day after he was one of only two Republican holdouts who voted against advancing President Donald Trump's sweeping agenda bill. Tillis had expressed concern about the impact cuts to Medicaid would have on his constituents, and Trump threatened on Saturday to back a primary challenger to his Senate seat. Tillis said in his statement that his decision was 'not a hard choice' and expressed a desire to be closer with his family. 'I look forward to having the pure freedom to call the balls and strikes as I see fit and representing the great people of North Carolina to the best of my ability,' he said. Tillis' Senate seat in North Carolina, a battleground state, will be crucial for Republicans to keep if they want to maintain their narrow majority in the chamber. This story is breaking and will be updated.
CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Sen. Thom Tillis announces he won't seek reelection after Trump threatens primary challenge
Senate works to kickstart Trump's legislative agenda that could impact millions Washington — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis announced Sunday that he won't seek reelection in 2026, opening up a key seat in North Carolina. The announcement came hours after President Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing Tillis for his opposition to some of the provisions within the "big, beautiful bill" making its way through the Senate. Mr. Trump indicated he would work to support primary challenges against Tillis, who is up for reelection in 2026. Tillis was first elected to the Senate in 2014. This is breaking news story and will be updated.
