Netanyahu Corruption Trial to Resume Sunday Following Lifting of Wartime State of Emergency

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will resume Sunday following the lifting of Israel's state of emergency. Read about the 2026 court schedule.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 8:11 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

Judicial System Returns to Standard Protocol

Israel’s court administration announced on April 9, 2026, that the criminal proceedings against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would resume their standard schedule. The trial had been suspended under a "special state of emergency" declared by Justice Minister Yariv Levin on February 28, the day the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran commenced. With the expiration of that emergency mandate and the stabilization of the domestic security situation, the Jerusalem District Court is set to reopen for high-profile testimonies. The court confirmed that hearings will proceed four days a week, running from Sundays through Wednesdays, as the judiciary seeks to clear a significant backlog of cases accumulated during the hostilities.

A Trial Interrupted by Regional Conflict

The suspension of the trial in late February came at a critical juncture, as Netanyahu was in the midst of his defense testimony, which began in December 2025. Over the last several months, the proceedings have faced repeated delays due to the premier’s health issues—including a prostate surgery in late 2024—and the shifting requirements of national security. Defense attorneys have previously argued that the Prime Minister’s time must be entirely devoted to managing the conflict with Iran and regional instability, frequently filing motions to reduce the weekly hearing load. However, the court has signaled a firm intent to accelerate the trial, which is now entering its sixth year.

Netanyahu’s Defense and the "Witch-Hunt" Narrative

As the trial prepares to resume, Netanyahu continues to maintain his innocence across all three corruption cases. He is charged with fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and more serious bribery charges in Case 4000, which involves allegations of regulatory favors granted to a telecommunications mogul in exchange for positive media coverage. Throughout his testimony, the Prime Minister has characterized the prosecution as a politically motivated "witch-hunt" led by the state prosecution and police. His legal team recently indicated that his personal testimony alone could stretch into late April 2026, provided no further security disruptions occur.