Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at the Jerusalem District Court on Monday, though not required to attend, to voice opposition to the judges' push for five hearings a week. Channel 12 reports the judges—Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham—are debating whether to accelerate the pace of proceedings. Likud activists gathered in support outside the courthouse.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at the Jerusalem District Court on Monday morning, though his attendance was not required, to personally object to the judges' push for an accelerated hearing schedule of five days a week. According to a Channel 12 report, the three presiding judges — Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am, and Oded Shaham — are considering increasing the pace of proceedings to five hearings per week. Netanyahu argued that such a schedule would harm his defense's ability to prepare.
As The Zioneer reported earlier today (Monday 09:51 Jerusalem), defense attorney Amit Hadad told the court that no criminal trial in Israeli history has run five days a week except the Eichmann trial, a point Netanyahu nodded at in agreement. In a separate argument earlier at 09:51, Hadad also said the schedule would force work on Shabbat and holidays, violating basic labor rules. The court had previously announced intentions to move to five-daily sessions after the High Holy Days, partly driven by Judge Friedman-Feldman's approaching retirement deadline, as The Zioneer reported on Wed Jun 24, 19:19 Jerusalem.
The appearance marked a public show of defiance by the prime minister, who stood in the courtroom alongside Likud activists who gathered outside in support. The judges' decision on the final schedule remains pending.
The judges have not yet ruled on the defense's objections, and it remains unclear whether the court will adopt the full five-day schedule or a slower pace.
5 developments
- StrongNetanyahu trial judges push to five-day schedule as Friedman-Feldman faces retirement deadline
- DevelopingNetanyahu trial to accelerate to five hearings per week after holidays
- StrongNetanyahu says attorney Hadad called him 'in a catastrophe,' asked to resign
- DevelopingAt trial, Netanyahu tells judges he sees very high prosecution responsiveness
Source and signal
- Internal intake