Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial will start on March 17, two weeks after Israel holds its third national election in less than a year, the Justice Ministry said on Tuesday.
Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial, has denied any wrongdoing in the three corruption cases against him.
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In addition to his legal battle, Netanyahu, who heads the right-wing Likud party and has become Israel's longest-serving prime minister several months ago, is fighting for his political life in a March 2 election, after inconclusive ballots in April and September.
In a statement, the ministry said Netanyahu, who was first elected in 1996, will be required to attend the Jerusalem District Court for the first session to hear an indictment against him. A three-judge panel will hear the indictment, which pertains to three probes: Case 1,000; Case 2,000 and Case 3,000.
In Case 1,000, Netanyahu is accused of receiving gifts worth over $200,000 from friends over an extended period, while Case 2,000 and Case 4,000 both involve alleged attempts by Netanyahu to secure positive media coverage in exchange for political favors.
In Case 4,000 – considered the most serious of the three – Netanyahu is accused of expediting a regulatory change toward the merger of Israel's two largest telecommunications companies, Bezeq and YES, in exchange for positive coverage on the Walla! news portal.
Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in three corruption cases. Charges, which were formally filed with the court three weeks ago, comprise one count of bribery, in Case 4,000, and three counts of fraud and breach of trust in all three cases (in Israel fraud and breach of trust is one count).
