Israel names judges for Netanyahu’s corruption trials

Israel’s Ministry of Justice yesterday named three judges who will form the court panel of the Jerusalem District Court which will hear the corruption trial of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, local media reported.

According to the Times of Israel, the Jerusalem District Court said that Rivka Friedman-Feldman will head of the panel and Moshe Bar-am and Oded Shaham will be members.

Friedman-Feldman was a member of the panel which sent former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to prison over bribery charges. Olmert was sentenced to a total of 27 months in jail over three corruption charges, but served only 16 months.

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In 2010, Shaham found Likud MK Tzachi Hanegbi guilty of corruption, but the panel board agreed to clear him; he was fined 10,000 shekels ($2,920).

Attorney General of the Israeli Government Avichai Mandelblit filed indictments against Netanyahu in January, making it the first time in Israel’s history that a serving prime minister was indicted on criminal charges.

Netanyahu filed an immunity request to the Knesset but later withdrew it.

Netanyahu’s trial is due to begin after the Israeli elections slated on 2 March.