An Israeli court on Tuesday re-
jected Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s request to delay the
start of his corruption trial, clear-
ing the way for proceedings to
begin as planned next week.
Mr. Netanyahu’s lawyers had
appealed for a delay, saying they
needed more time to review evi-
dence. State prosecutors respon-
ded that they oppose any delays
and the court accepted their po-
sition.
In overruling the request, the
presiding judge wrote that the
first session on March 17 was a
procedural reading of the charg-
es only and the defendant’s re-
sponse was not needed, there-
fore there was no justification for
a delay.
Mr. Netanyahu has been
charged with fraud, breach of
trust and accepting bribes in
connection to a series of scan-
dals that include accepting ex-
pensive gifts from wealthy
friends and offering to exchange
favours with powerful media
moguls. The long-ruling Israeli
leader denies any wrongdoing
and says he is the victim of a
media-orchestrated witch hunt.
His legal troubles stood at the
centre of last week’s national
election, Israel’s third in less
than a year. Like elections last
April and September, this one
ended inconclusively.
Mr. Netanyahu’s opponent,
Benny Gantz, refused to sit with
him in government and appears
poised to push for legislation in
the incoming parliament that
would bar anyone indicted for a
crime being able to lead a gov-
ernment – in effect disqualifying
Mr. Netanyahu from leading the
country.The most straightforward way
out of the political deadlock in
each of the previous rounds was
a unity government, but the
sides have grown increasingly
acrimonious toward each other
with each campaign.
In a sign of that division, Israel
stepped up security for Mr.
Gantz, who has faced death
threats in the aftermath of last
week’s elections.
The country’s domestic secu-
rity agency Shin Bet announced
it was planning on taking over
security for Mr. Gantz, who was
until now being protected by
parliamentary security guards.
In a statement, the Shin Bet
said Mr. Netanyahu, as head of a
ministerial committee oversee-
ing Shin Bet affairs, approved the
arrangement.
Earlier this week, Israel’s par-
liament beefed up the security
detail protecting Mr. Gantz, after
deeming the death threats
against him to be credible.
Mr. Gantz revealed that a mantried to assault him Saturday
evening as he arrived at a speak-
ing engagement, and that Neta-
nyahu supporters have been
threatening him online.
One post called for Mr. Gantz
to be killed just like former
prime minister Yitzhak Rabin,
who was assassinated by a Jew-
ish ultranationalist in 1995. An-
other portrayed him and his fel-
low party leaders in Arab head-
dress, similar to images that cir-
culated of Mr. Rabin before he
was killed.
Also on Tuesday, members of
Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party ab-
stained from a procedural vote
meant to approve the official
election results, citing their de-
mand for a recount of hundreds
of ballots that are in contention.
Mr. Gantz’s Blue and White party
said the move set a “dangerous
precedent” that damaged the le-
gitimacy of the country’s elec-
tions commission.ASSOCIATED PRESSIsraelicourtrejectsNetanyahu’srequest
todelaythestartofhiscorruptiontrial
ARONHELLERJERUSALEMIsraeliPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu,seeninJerusalemonSunday,
faceschargesoffraud,breachoftrustandacceptingbribesinconnection
withaseriesofscandals.Hedeniesanywrongdoing.REUTERST
his day in 1848 was a defining moment for
democracy in the United Province of Cana-
da, whengovernor-general Lord Elgin
swore in Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and
Robert Baldwin to lead their “Great Ministry.” After
a clear electoral victory in the British colony, the two
reformers brought in“responsiblegovernment,”
whereby governance is carried out by elected citizen
representatives rather than colonial powers. Previ-
ously, colonialgovernorsacted on guidance from
representatives they selected. (Joseph Howe had led
the way a month earlier in Nova Scotia with his own
responsiblegovernment initiative.) “[Responsiblegovernment] had double significance in Canada:
first, that of the people controlling their own gov-
ernment; second, it was about independence from
London,” John Ralston Saul wrote in The Globe and
Mail on this date in 2008. Together, LaFontaine and
Baldwin, a Catholic francophone and a Protestant
anglophone, respectively, helped create a society
based on inclusion and egalitarianism. Of the pair,
Saul wrote: “Their fight was built on their desire to
strengthen the public good. They believed that only
a fully functioning democracy could accomplish
this. And that is the touchstone from 1848 to today.”
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