Judges in Netanyahu Trial Float Dropping Bribery Charge

by | Jun 30, 2026 | News

The panel of judges overseeing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial has suggested that prosecutors consider dropping the bribery charge against him, after the premier’s defense attorney warned that keeping the charge in place could push the trial, already six years old, into 2028.

The judges made the same recommendation exactly three years ago, warning that the bribery charge would be difficult to prove. In the years since, the court has heard extensive testimony from Netanyahu on the allegations, but the recommendation has not changed. Netanyahu also faces charges of fraud and breach of trust across three separate cases.

The latest exchange took place the same day the judges proposed holding five hearings a week going forward in an effort to speed up proceedings, a plan both the prosecution and the defense objected to.

The case, which began in 2020, has run alongside years of political and security upheaval in Israel, including last year’s war with Iran and ongoing operations against Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing throughout. No decision on whether to formally drop the bribery charge has been announced, and proceedings are set to continue in Jerusalem District Court following the prime minister’s most recent testimony.

+ posts