By Stephanie Halasz and Tamar Michaelis | CNNThe corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restarted Monday after a two month pause that followed the state of emergency declared after the October 7 Hamas attacks. Israeli Minister of Justice Yaris Levin lifted the state of emergency effective December 1. Netanyahu’s corruption trial first began in January 2020, making him the first sitting Israeli prime minister to appear in court as a defendant, on trial for charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery. Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem criticized the resumption of the trial in a time of war. Under Israeli law, he is not required to step down from office unless he is convicted and that conviction is upheld throughout the appeals process.

Source: CNN December 04, 2023 23:13 UTC