Netanyahu Becomes First ‘Israeli’ PM to Stand Trial over Corruption, Fraud Cases

By Staff, Agencies

The trial against Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began in occupied al-Quds on Sunday, marking the first time in the occupation entity’s history that a sitting prime minister has ever faced trial.

Last year, Netanyahu was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges as part of three separate corruption cases.

The trial against Netanyahu was delayed by two months because of the coronavirus outbreak. He has repeatedly denied all accusations of wrongdoing and claimed that he is a victim of a political "witch-hunt" orchestrated by the left and the media.

The 70-year-old began his fifth term as prime minister this month as part of a power-sharing agreement with his rival Benny Gantz after a series of back-to-back elections failed to result in a coalition government over the past year.

Netanyahu has refused to step down from power despite growing calls for his resignation and dwindling support from the Zionist public over his legal woes.

Last year, Netanyahu was indicted on bribery, fraud, and breach of trust charges as part of three separate corruption cases:

"Case 1,000" refers to accusations that Netanyahu received expensive gifts from wealthy business magnates in exchange for favors. "Case 2,000" refers to allegations that Netanyahu promoted a particular newspaper in exchange for more positive coverage. And "Case 4,000" alleges that Netanyahu granted regulatory benefits to a major ‘Israeli’ telecommunications company in exchange for favorable media coverage.

The maximum sentence for bribery is 10 years in prison, according to Haaretz.

Netanyahu is the first acting prime minister to be indicted while in office, as previous Zionist leaders who faced similar situations resigned before charges were even handed down.