Netanyahu's Corruption Trial Resumes after   March Parliamentarian Elections

An Israeli court ruled that the trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges will not resume until voters' views on him are known following next month's parliamentarian elections.

Netanyahu faced charges in 2019 of receiving gifts from wealthy friends and seeking to obtain preferential regulatory decisions for media investors in exchange for premium coverage during the last elections.

The accusations were a central issue during three elections that did not produce an outright winner.

Israel will hold its fourth parliamentary elections in two years on March 23.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu denied the accusations against him before a panel of three judges in a Jerusalem court.

But the court stated that it would look into the evidence on April 5. Netanyahu has been prime minister since 2009, after the first term between 1996 and 1999.

On February 9, the Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem directed what was described as a new "slap" to   Netanyahu regarding his trial in the corruption cases against him.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that the court rejected Netanyahu's defense team's request to petition for trial protocols and postpone them until after the elections.

The court decided to resume the trial on  April 5.

On February 8, Netanyahu's trial began before the court, and the session focused on the appendix to the amended indictment, which includes requests from Netanyahu and his representatives to influence the media coverage on the Walla news site in the framework of the file known as 4000.

"Israel Hayom" newspaper revealed the details of the trial session of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of financial corruption, and that he obtained bribes from businessmen in exchange for granting them visas to travel to the United States of America.

"Netanyahu," told the judges that he had not received any bribes, telling the court: "I did not do that."

"I acknowledge the written answer given in my name," Netanyahu added before a heavily guarded court in Israel.

He referred to a memorandum that his lawyers submitted to the court last month, confirming that he had not received any bribes from the businessmen mentioned in the case.