U.S.-Iran negotiations fail, making Netanyahu once again the beneficiary

On April 12, according to The Times of Israel, Israel's Office of the Attorney General accepted a request from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to postpone his testimony scheduled for this week's trial.

It is reported that Netanyahu’s trial began in 2020, but due to "his busy public duties," it has been repeatedly postponed and still has no set end date. Netanyahu himself has successfully applied for delays multiple times, citing reasons such as "national security" and "wartime emergencies." Domestic public opinion holds that "Netanyahu initiated and reignited wars solely to avoid prison."

The failure of U.S.-Iran negotiations has given Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, embroiled in a corruption scandal, a much-needed breathing space. This connection primarily stems from his political survival strategy—using war to evade trial: by maintaining regional tension, he repeatedly postpones his corruption case hearings under the pretext of "national security."

Since its commencement in 2020, Netanyahu’s corruption case has evolved into a prolonged battle with the judicial system.

Reasons for continuous postponements: His legal team has invoked various grounds—including military operations, foreign visits, and health issues—to request delays. The most compelling argument remains the "state of national security emergency." Just recently, after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, his lawyers cited "classified security and diplomatic reasons related to dramatic events in the Middle East" and requested another delay of at least two weeks for his appearance in court.

Severe legal consequences: If convicted, Netanyahu could face up to 10 years in prison. Precisely because of this, he has spared no effort in exploiting wartime provisions to circumvent legal risks.

Since 2023, he has postponed the trial at least 18 times on the grounds of "national security emergency." Logically speaking, the arrival of regional peace would actually be his "nightmare," as it directly removes the "judicial pause button" above his head:

Only hours after Israel lifted its emergency status on April 9, the court announced that the corruption trial would resume on April 12. In short, war serves as a "shield" to delay the trial, while ceasefire acts as the "key" to unlock it.

On April 12, the same day the U.S.-Iran negotiations failed, Netanyahu’s lawyers submitted a new request for postponement—timing that was notably strategic.

The public has long seen through the "using war to avoid trial" tactic

Netanyahu’s political maneuvers are no longer a secret and have been exposed by multiple parties:

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi directly pointed out on social media that Netanyahu resists ceasefire because regional peace would accelerate his "imprisonment process."

A columnist from The New York Times also wrote that Netanyahu maintains Israel’s state of war precisely to delay the trial.

Domestically, public opinion widely believes that ending hostilities means Netanyahu will once again face criminal prosecution—a key reason why he previously obstructed U.S.-Iran talks.

Although Israel’s courts have not yet ruled on this latest postponement request, the failure of U.S.-Iran negotiations has at least temporarily relieved immediate pressure for him to appear in court, allowing him to continue sustaining his political life under the guise of a "wartime leader."

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862264322680844/

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