Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will testify in his ongoing corruption trial three times a week, the Tel Aviv District Court ruled on Thursday after Netanyahu's office requested on Wednesday that he only testify twice a week, Israeli media reported.
"We did not find a compelling reason to deviate from previous decisions," the judge stated.
Earlier, the office of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed Netanyahu's request to reduce the amount of time for which he must testify, Israeli state broadcaster KAN News reported on Thursday.
Netanyahu's office later said that the "conduct of the prosecution demonstrates it is using the principle of equality to discriminate against the prime minister, aiming to severely harm his defense," Israeli media reported.
Netanyahu requested to testify on only two non-consecutive days a week and for fewer hours. He also asked to speak privately with the judges before his testimony began.
The prime minister attributed his request to the demands of his busy schedule as head of the government.
Netanyahu reportedly suggested that his testimony be limited to 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., reducing the current scheduled hours of 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
He also requested that testimony days not be scheduled consecutively. Additionally, court officials have reportedly proposed relocating the sessions to the Tel Aviv District Court for convenience.
The cases against Netanyahu continue to attract significant attention in Israel and beyond.
Three cases against Netanyahu
Netanyahu is currently facing three major criminal cases, all of which relate to fraud and breach of trust. In the first case, known as Case 1000, Netanyahu was accused of improper conduct in association with billionaire Arnon Milchan.
The second case (known as Case 2000) against the Israeli prime minister concerns Netanyahu's alleged interactions with Arnon Mozes and Yediot Aharonot's leading competitor.
The third case, which includes allegations of bribery and is called Case 4000, involves Netanyahu allegedly providing Shaul Elovitch, a communication and media mogul, with regulatory benefits in exchange for positive coverage.