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Netanyahu recovering from post-surgery infection, lawyers say

The infection began after the Israeli prime minister's prostate operation.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend a Cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Jan. 7, 2024. Photo by Ronen Zvulun/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attend a Cabinet meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv on Jan. 7, 2024. Photo by Ronen Zvulun/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering from an infection following surgery to remove his prostate, his lawyers said Friday in asking to limit the number of days per week he will testify in the corruption trial against him.

Netanyahu is “recovering from the surgery and subsequent infection,” the lawyers said in the request, which had medical papers enclosed. The 75-year-old had his prostate removed on Dec. 29. According to his office, it was done after a nonmalignant lump was found in that organ.

The prosecution opposed the defense’s request to limit the number of days that Netanyahu has to testify to no more than one appearance per week, arguing that testimonies should be shortened rather than spread out.

He “should avoid continuous activity for more than three hours without rest in the coming week, and should also avoid long trips, sitting or standing for long periods of time,” his defense team wrote. Therefore, “traveling to Tel Aviv for a hearing, and certainly, testifying for several hours, are not in line with medical recommendations. However, in order to advance the process, the Honorable Court is requested to determine that next week the Prime Minister’s testimony will be heard on one day—with a preference for Tuesday or Wednesday so that the prime minister will have additional time to recover,” the request says.

The trial began in the Jerusalem District court on May 24, 2020, but was subsequently moved to Tel Aviv for security reasons. Netanyahu’s next testimony is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 27.

The prime minister is facing bribery and breach-of-trust charges in three cases, labeled 1000, 2000 and 4000. The latter is the most serious, and the only one featuring bribery charges. He denies all wrongdoing and has said that the trial is political.

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