JERUSALEM – Israel’s attorney general on Thursday rejected Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’s request to postpone a court hearing over corruptionallegations against him, media reports said.
The prosecutor’s office said Netanyahu had requested “that the hearing bedelayed due to the dissolution of the Knesset and the elections due onSeptember 17” to a date after the polls, the Ynet news site said.
After considering the matter, the prosecutor’s office said “nothingjustified agreeing to the request to change the dates fixed for thehearing”, it added.
Netanyahu is facing possible indictment for bribery, fraud and breach oftrust in the months ahead and is reportedly seeking legislation in the newparliament that would result in him being granted immunity.
Last month, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit pushed back to October thedate by which Netanyahu needed to respond to the allegations against him.
The prosecutor’s office stressed that the hearing scheduled for October 2and 3 would not be delayed “not even for one day”.
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“The new elections constitute exceptional circumstances to whichexceptional attention must be accorded,” Netanyahu responded on Thursday.
Netanyahu called new elections late last month after failing to form acoalition.
Israel will now head to the polls again in September, just over five monthsafter an April election that saw Netanyahu and his right-wing and religiousallies win a majority.
Netanyahu is also on track to become Israel’s longest-serving primeminister in July, surpassing founding father David Ben-Gurion. -APP/AFP
