Netanyahu, leader of Israel’s right-wing Likud party, is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, allegations he denies.
Minister David Amsalem of Likud called the resumption of proceedings during the unrest “a disgrace”.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Amsalem poised a question that right now the most important thing in this country is to “renew Netanyahu’s trial.”
Opposition leader reiterates call for PM’s resignation
Netanyahu and his allies have argued the accusations against him are politically motivated and had proposed a judicial overhaul that would have curbed some powers held by the courts.
The high-profile trial is expected to last several more months. An appeal process, if necessary, could take years.
In one of three cases the trial encompasses, prosecutors allege a plot between Netanyahu and the controlling shareholder of Israel’s Bezeq telecom giant to exchange regulatory favours for positive coverage on a news site owned by the firm.
A second case relates to Netanyahu’s relationship with Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and other wealthy personalities.
According to prosecutors, between 2007 and 2016 Netanyahu allegedly received gifts valued at 700,000 shekels ($195,000), including boxes of cigars, bottles of champagne and jewellery, in exchange for financial or personal favours.
Leave office
According to Al Jazeera report, the opposition leader Yair Lapid said that the time has come for the “one on whose watch the greatest calamity in the history of [Israel] occurred to leave us alone”, adding, “those who fail like this cannot continue”.
At the beginning of a meeting of the centrist Yesh Atid party, Lapid said: “It’s time for this government to release us from its punishment.”
Last month, Lapid had written on X: “We need to establish a national reconstruction government. Likud will lead it, Netanyahu and the extremists will be replaced, [and] over 90 members of the Knesset will be partners in the coalition for healing and reconnection.”
Netanyahu, who is Israel’s first sitting prime minister to stand trial, denies any wrongdoing, saying gifts were only accepted from friends and without him having asked for them.
