Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial over corruption charges is scheduled to begin March 17.
Israel’s Justice Ministry announced the court date on Tuesday. Netanyahu’s trial is set to begin two weeks after Israel holds its third national election within a year, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu, his country’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing three cases on charges of bribery, breach of trust, and fraud. He has denied any wrongdoing. The 70-year-old politician must appear in Jerusalem District Court for at least the first day of the trial to hear the charges against him.
The prime minister is preparing to fight for his role as the head of the Israeli government for the third time since April. After neither of the two prior elections could Netanyahu’s Likud Party successfully form a majority coalition government despite having a plurality of seats.
Netanyahu is charged with taking $264,000 worth of gifts from wealthy businessmen and others seeking political favors. He is also alleged to have handed out favors to media companies in exchange for positive press coverage.
The prime minister has presented himself as a close ally to the Trump administration. President Trump is very popular in Israel, enjoying an approval rating of 71%, according to the Pew Research Center.
