[78888] Confrontation in Court: Netanyahu asked to shorten hearings due to ceremonies, the judge refused

Tension in the courtroom: Netanyahu and the judges discuss the schedule of ceremonies

At the beginning of the hearing this morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the Tel Aviv District Court to take a break to participate in the change of command ceremony for the Director of Malmab (the Director of Security of the Defense Establishment), and subsequently requested further adjustments to the hearing schedule tomorrow to participate in the Mossad Director's change of command ceremony. As reported by Moti Kastel, Netanyahu emphasized that he is the "direct commander" of the Mossad Director and that it is an important event he cannot be absent from.

Judge Friedman-Feldman responded sharply to the requests, clarifying that trial procedures must take precedence over ceremonial events. According to ynet news, the judge noted: "Let them adjust the schedule," and emphasized that while the court shows flexibility in urgent security events, this is not the case for ceremonies. "When there is no choice, we cancel hearings and don't say a word... ceremonies, it really doesn't make sense," she added according to a quote in Moti Kastel.

In the reports on the event, a distinction between media outlets in covering the case was evident. While Eli Tsipori, known for his supportive stance toward Netanyahu, presented the dialogue as "delusional" on the part of the judges, War Room 🎗️ presented a critical line toward the Prime Minister, tagging his requests under the heading "running away from trial".

During the discussion, Ziv Rubinstein - Until the war ends clarified that after Netanyahu's insistence that "half an hour is not enough," he finally received a certain extension from the judges, who noted they would continue to consider the matter on the go. News in Real Time on Telegram noted that beyond these ceremonies, Netanyahu asked to cancel another hearing scheduled for Wednesday, claiming he must be present at the Knesset for the vote to elect the State Comptroller.