Amid protests, Israeli PM Netanyahu pleads not guilty to corruption charges

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust on Monday. His trial resumed six weeks before the country is due to hold a parliamentary election.
During his second appearance in court since May, and just over a month before the 2021 Israeli legislative election, Netanyahu confirmed his written plea of ‘not guilty’ for charges that include passing regulatory favors for a company in exchange for positive news coverage.

Last year, Netanyahu claimed that the purpose of the corruption trial was to “depose a strong, right-wing prime minister, and thus remove the nationalist camp from the leadership of the country for many years,” though many Israelis argue that the leader is no longer fit for office.

Protesters flocked to Netanyahu's official residence on Saturday to protest the prime minister, calling for him to resign over the corruption charges and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Similar rallies have been held in Israel for months now. Netanyahu has called the protesters “anarchists,” and his son Yair mocked them as “aliens” back in August.

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