Trial vs. Diplomacy: What Took Priority for Netanyahu?

July 2, 2025: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s criminal trial testimonies, scheduled for next week, have been postponed due to his upcoming diplomatic visit to the United States, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Netanyahu’s defense team submitted the request for postponement, which the prosecution approved—though they urged for additional testimony dates to be set before the court’s summer recess begins on July 21 and continues through September 5.

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Previously, Netanyahu was scheduled to testify on Monday and Tuesday, July 21 and 22. In his absence, the court will instead hear from other defense witnesses on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Netanyahu is set to depart for the U.S. on Sunday, returning by Thursday or Friday. During his visit, he is expected to hold high-level meetings with U.S. officials including President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, and congressional leaders. He is also scheduled to attend classified security meetings.

This diplomatic trip comes amid emerging signs of progress in hostage and ceasefire negotiations related to the Israel-Hamas war, with 50 hostages still held by Hamas.

The court’s decision to cancel this week’s testimonies followed a closed-door meeting between Netanyahu’s legal team and Jerusalem District Court Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Oded Shaham, and Moshe Bar-Am. Key security figures like IDF Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder and Mossad head David Barnea also participated.

Earlier, Netanyahu‘s defense team had requested a two-week pause in hearings following the June 13 Israeli strike on Iran, which had placed the court system in emergency mode. While the prosecution rejected that earlier request, this new postponement was granted following updated consultations tied to Netanyahu’s shifting diplomatic and security priorities.