Benjamin Netanyahu has hit out at what he called “nonsense” charges of fraud and accepting bribes as he returned to court for the latest stage of his criminal trial.
The Israeli Prime Minister will testify across three separate hearings this week after a request to reduce his appearances to one was rejected.
During his brief appearance today, he accused the prosecution of “driving the country mad” by pursuing the charges, which he has strenuously denied.
It marked his first court date in over a month as a result of a prostate operation late last year.
Netanyahu, accompanied by a physician, also slammed the timing of the hearings, claiming he had not been given sufficient time to recuperate from the procedure.
He told the court: “I had surgery less than a month ago. The normal recovery process is six weeks.
"In my case, the recovery did not go according to my doctors’ expectations and wishes, because I was dragged or swept away against my will… to deal with a flood of needs related to the release of the hostages and the events in Lebanon and elsewhere.
"I am in the process of recovering, but I am not recovered yet.”
Reports also suggested that Netanyahu has been battling an infection in recent weeks, which has further delayed the recovery process.
As the hearings get underway, he will be testifying to defend three separate cases related to his political dealings.
The allegations against him largely centre on undeclared conflicts of interest across his time as Minister of Communications and Prime Minister.
Prosecutors claim that he exerted influence on tax and media regulations in a way which furthered the financial interests of his co-defendants Arnon Milchan, Arnon Moses and Shaul Elovitch.
This includes two instances in which Netanyahu allegedly promised regulatory changes in exchanges for positive coverage of his policies and negative coverage of his opponents.
All four men have denied the charges against them.
