Mike Huckabee arrives at Netanyahu’s trial
Netanyahu’s trial was interrupted less than an hour after it began, when the prime minister received an urgent envelope. His military secretary, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, entered the courtroom unexpectedly, prompting Netanyahu to step out. “I must see him immediately; he rarely comes here,” he told the judges. The hearing resumed briefly before being paused again due to security considerations.
After Netanyahu exited the courtroom, Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Syria to withdraw its forces. “Israel will not abandon the Druze in Syria and will enforce the demilitarization policy we have adopted,” he said. “The IDF will continue targeting regime forces until they retreat from the area and will escalate its responses if the message is not understood.”
Huckabee, speaking earlier at a local government conference in Tel Aviv, called the trial’s timing “extraordinary.”
“It’s unusual for a prime minister to be on trial during wartime and while negotiations over hostages are ongoing,” he said. Asked whether his visit was at the request of former President Donald Trump, Huckabee replied: “The president has made his position clear. This is personal for him. He considers the prime minister a friend.”
Before the recess, Netanyahu faced questions from prosecutor Yonatan Tadmor regarding Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan. He was asked about testimony from Hadas Klein, Milchan’s longtime assistant, who said Netanyahu’s office had been approached about renewing Milchan’s U.S. visa. Netanyahu said he was unaware of such efforts at the time and only recently learned of them.
Netanyahu is on trial for alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a series of cases involving wealthy associates. He denies wrongdoing and says the charges are part of a politically motivated campaign to remove him from power.
