Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused police and prosecutors of conspiring to "depose him" as he arrived in court on Sunday for the first criminal trial ever against a sitting Israeli leader.
Mr Netanyahu is attending the opening hearing at a Jerusalem district court to hear the arraignment against him, after a request to have his lawyers represent him instead was rejected.
The leader faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in a series of corruption cases linked to his ties with wealthy friends. He has strongly denied the charges against him.
Please allow the live blog a moment to load...
Hello and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the trial of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu to appear at Jerusalem court to begin landmark trial
Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to appear in court on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, becoming the first prime minister in Israel’s history to stand trial.
The embattled leader, who has strongly denied the charges, has been ordered to attend the much-anticipated session later today to begin a trial which has already bitterly divided the country.
Police have prepared for rival demonstrations, as scrums of supporters and protesters crowded outside the courthouse in East Jerusalem, hoping to catch a glimpse of the prime minister.
You can read the full story below:
Netanyahu: ‘Trial is an attempt to depose me’
Mr Netanyahu has arrived at the courthouse and lashed out at Israel’s justice system in a televised statement, claiming his trial is an attempt to “depose him”.
The prime minister described the trial as an “attempt to eliminate the will of the people” and an “attempt to depose a strong right-wing leader”.
He also accused police and prosecutors of conspiring to “tailor” a case against him and called the claims “contaminated” and exaggerated.
For anyone who is wondering what exactly the Israeli prime minister is accused of, our Middle East correspondent, Bel Trew, has produced an explainer on everything you need to know about the trial.
You can read it below:
Netanyahu corruption trial to open on Sunday: What you need to know
Benjamin Netanyahu is first prime minister in Israel’s history to stand trial while in office – the three corruption cases explainedNetanyahu supporters compare PM’s trial to ‘Dreyfus Affair’
Our reporter Ben Lynfield is outside the courtroom in Jerusalem this afternoon and has this update from the scene, where supporters of Mr Netanyahu have been protesting the trial.
Ben writes:
Outside the courtroom, right-wing supporters of the prime minister held a raucous protest playing songs associated with the leader on loudspeakers.
They compared Mr Netanyahu to Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish French army captain who was convicted and later exonerated of spying for the Germans in the late 19th century. The “Dreyfus Affair” triggered a national crisis over antisemitism in France.
Chanting “Netanyahu you are not alone,” his supporters held photos of the Israeli leader and images of Dreyfus, claiming Mr Netanyahu was being unfairly targeted.
Members of the rally also called out the names of journalists covering the indictment who they believe have been unfair to the prime minister shouting “down with them”.
Meanwhile across town outside the prime minister’s official residence, protesters who are against Mr Netanyahu, also gathered. There, crowds held signs reading “crime minister” while chanting “to prison to prison”.
More from Ben Lynfield outside the courthouse:
Transportation minister Miri Regev, one of Mr Netanyahu’s most vocal supporters, has addressed the right-wing pro-Netanyahu demonstration outside the courtroom.
“Today is a sad day for Israel democracy,” she said, as the crowd chanted back “the people demand just justice”.
“The prime minister does not stand alone. We will express our position and make sure the judges don’t fall into the trap of the media and that they will conduct a true trial. We represent the broad public.”
Ms Regev serves on the committee that appoints justices to Israel’s supreme court.
When asked by The Independent if she has a message to the judges in Mr Netanyahu’s trial, she replied they must “do a just and true trial”.
Transportation minister Miri Regev, one of Mr Netanyahu’s most vocal supporters, has addressed the right-wing pro-Netanyahu demonstration outside the courtroom.
“Today is a sad day for Israel democracy,” she said, as the crowd chanted back “the people demand just justice”.
“The prime minister does not stand alone. We will express our position and make sure the judges don’t fall into the trap of the media and that they will conduct a true trial. We represent the broad public.”
Ms Regev serves on the committee that appoints justices to Israel’s supreme court.
When asked by The Independent if she has a message to the judges in Mr Netanyahu’s trial, she replied they must “do a just and true trial”.
Here is the moment Mr Netanyahu entered the courtroom to begin this historic trial.
Here are some of the Israeli prime minister’s comments outside the courthouse this afternoon in more detail.
Mr Netanyahu professed his innocence on Sunday, arguing he was being framed but “standing tall” against the corruption charges.
“These investigations were tainted and stitched-up from the first moment,” he said in a televised statement.
He dubbed prosecutors and police the "Just Not Bibi Gang", a reference, using his own nickname, to what he has called a witch-hunt, abetted by the “left-wing media” and political opponents to end his record tenure as prime minister.
“I am appearing here today, as your prime minister, standing tall and with head high,” Mr Netanyahu told reporters, vowing to beat the charges and continue to lead Israel in his current fifth term.
Yair Lapid, the chairman of the Yesh Atid party and leader of the opposition in the Knesset (Israel’s legislature), has said Mr Netanyahu’s statement this afternoon shows that he cannot serve as prime minister while defending himself in the trial.
“Netanyahu's wild incitement in his trial is final proof why a criminal defendant cannot continue to serve as prime minister,” Mr Lapid said.
Mr Netanyahu’s lawyers have asked for a spring 2021 start date for the trial, arguing they will need about three months to assess documents.
Netanyahu is innocent until proven guilty, Gantz says as he backs justice system
Benny Gantz, the leader of the Blue and White political alliance, has said Mr Netanyahu is innocent until proven guilty ‘like every citizen’ and has backed the justice system in a cautious statement on the trial.
Mr Gantz had previously campaigned to oust Mr Netanyahu from office but recently reached a coalition deal with the embattled prime minister in return for a senior role in the government.
“I reiterate that my friends and I have complete confidence in the justice system and law enforcement,” Mr Gantz said.
“At this time, perhaps more than ever, we must act as a state and society for unity and reconciliation, for the State of Israel and for all Israeli citizens.”
Netanyahu 'will not need to be present' at future trial hearings
The first session of Mr Netanyahu’s trial appears to have come to a close with lawyers on both sides agreeing that the prime minister will not need to be present at the next session.
He had been forced to attend today’s hearing after a request to have his lawyers represent him instead was rejected.
More on Benny Gantz’s statement this afternoon from our Middle East correspondent Bel Trew:
Benny Gantz, Mr Netanyahu’s former election rival turned coalition partner, issued a very carefully worded statement on the trial on Sunday insisting the prime minister “like any other citizen” was innocent until proven guilty.
Mr Gantz had headed a centrist alliance that battled Mr Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party across three unprecedented and inconclusive elections between 2019 and this year, arguing that the prime minister could not stay in office while being on trial.
But after all sides failed to form a government, and with the prospect of a fourth election on the horizon, Mr Gantz controversially decided to join forces with Mr Netanyahu to form a unity government much to the fury of his election partners.
Under the coalition deal, Mr Netanyahu stays as prime minister for another 18 months while Mr Gantz is his deputy under the title “alternate prime minister”. From November 2021, they swap roles.
Mr Netanyahu does not have to resign even as “alternate prime minister” as the role awards him the same legal privileges.
Netanyahu statement is ‘blatant attempt to intimidate court’, former PM says
Former prime minister Ehud Barak has condemned Mr Netanyahu’s statement this afternoon as a “blatant attempt to intimidate the court”.
“This is mob-like behavior that should not be allowed to pass,” the former Labor Party leader said, denouncing the statement as a “pathetic trick”.
Mr Barak served as Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001.
As the first day of his trial comes to a close, this is the image Mr Netanyahu will want the Israeli public to see - a leader backed by his party’s ministers.
That's all from our live coverage of the Netanyahu trial today - thanks for joining us!
For more world news updates, you can follow our coronavirus live blog here.
For more world news updates, you can follow our coronavirus live blog here.
