After former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court Tuesday for the first time in months, judges agreed to delay long-awaited testimony in the opposition leader’s corruption trial. 

Newspaper editor-turned-political operative Nir Hefetz is considered the prosecution's star witness in Case 4000, which centers on allegations that Netanyahu offered regulatory favors in exchange for favorable coverage on the Walla news site. It’s one of three long-running corruption cases against Netanyahu, who has pleaded not guilty of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Netanyahu, who was ousted in June as prime minister after 12 years in power, denies all wrongdoing and has called the trial a political “witch hunt” orchestrated by his leftist rivals, the media and state prosecutors. His defense team repeatedly sought to delay the trial or dismiss the charges. 

Hefetz left journalism in 2009 to serve as a spokesperson for Netanyahu’s government and later as a Netanyahu family spokesperson and media adviser. In a deal with investigators following his 2018 arrest, Hefetz agreed to hand over recordings of his conversations with Netanyahu and his family.