Since Israel began its war on Gaza, there have been calls for the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to stand trial. Thanks to strong support from the United States and some of its allies, it seems unlikely that Netanyahu will have to defend himself against charges of genocide at the Hague any time soon. This has not, however, spared him from having to defend himself before a court of law. Israel’s prime minister spent much of last week in a Tel Aviv courthouse standing trial for graft.

Five years after being indicted, Netanyahu took the witness stand and for hours was forced to answer questions about the severe corruption charges he is accused of committing. This is the first time in Israel’s history that a serving prime minister has stood trial. The proceedings have polarized the Israeli public since 2019. Political parties have, during this period, partly defined themselves based on whether they are for or against Netanyahu. Israel has seen five elections in three and a half years as neither Netanyahu nor his rivals have been able to form stable coalition governments.