For "Security Reasons"... Netanyahu's Trial Session in Tel Aviv Is Cancelled

A hearing in the trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, scheduled to resume on Monday morning at the Central Court in Tel Aviv after an approximately two-month suspension due to the war with Iran, was cancelled following a request submitted by his lawyers.

According to Israeli media, today's session will not be held despite the end of the emergency period in the courts about two and a half weeks ago and the gradual resumption of judicial proceedings, based on a request submitted by Netanyahu's lawyers shortly before the session.

Israeli reports stated that the request to cancel the hearing was submitted one hour before the session was due to be held, and included security justifications, while the court spokesperson said that "an organized request will be submitted later to the case file and a decision will be made accordingly."

This comes at a time when Netanyahu is approaching the end of his testimony within the framework of his trial, having concluded the last cross-examination session on February 24 of this year, which was session number 80 within his testimony in File 4000.

Despite the ceasefire having taken effect weeks ago, Netanyahu had requested the cancellation of a number of sessions over the past two weeks, citing "political and security considerations" — a request to which the court bench acceded, despite the public prosecution's objection.

The prosecution's estimates indicated that cross-examination in File 4000 requires between two and three additional sessions, while File 2000 requires between 4 and 8 sessions, meaning Netanyahu's testimony could be completed within a few weeks.

Trial sessions were previously held three times a week, but Netanyahu requested they be reduced to two days a week due to his duties as Prime Minister during the war, while the court exceptionally allowed defense witnesses to be heard in parallel with his cross-examination.

The trial continues amid increasing political pressures, including calls directed at Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant Netanyahu a pardon, alongside statements by US President Donald Trump calling for the trial to be cancelled, in addition to a formal letter he submitted to Herzog on this matter.

In this context, Herzog said he would not examine the pardon issue before "exhausting a track that could lead to a settlement between the parties outside the court," indicating his intention to push forward a mediation track between the prosecution and the defense team.

Reports also revealed that the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) had submitted a classified security assessment about two weeks ago regarding Netanyahu's attendance at trial sessions, pointing to concerns related to his safety, given the difficulty of him remaining for extended periods in announced locations.