Netanyahu Lawyers Threaten Resignation Over Hearing Schedule

The Jerusalem District Court denied Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to reduce weekly trial hearings and ordered four hearings a week, set for Sundays through Wednesdays starting next week. Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Moshe Bar-Am and Oded Shaham denied the reduction request a second time. Lead defense lawyer Amit Hadad said he cannot attend Sunday hearings because of other court commitments, and Netanyahu’s lawyers have threatened to resign or seek withdrawal if the schedule is not changed. The defense argued the schedule is disproportionate, violates the Basic Law and clashes with the prime minister’s national duties, and requested a partly closed hearing with a relevant security official. Judges said they increased the schedule to overcome long delays in the trial, which began in 2020. Netanyahu’s testimony could stretch into April 2026 and the overall trial into 2027.