After Years of Waiting, Netanyahu Begins Testifying in Corruption Case

Israel’s prime minister must juggle what is expected to be weeks of testimony with the demands of managing a nation at war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu smiles as he prepares to testify in his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv on Dec. 10, 2024. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally began testifying against longstanding corruption charges against him on Dec. 10, the first time an Israeli prime minister has taken the stand as a criminal defendant.

He faces charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases.