Ninety-eight hearings in nearly a year and a half - and now Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finished testifying in the corruption trial that has been hounding him since 2020. He's the first sitting prime minister of Israel to stand trial for corruption, and his rhetorical defense is familiar to everyone in the Balkans: he claims it's all a "political persecution."

The charges aren't small. In the first case, known as the "gifts affair," he's accused of receiving gifts worth around 180,000 euros from a Hollywood producer and an Australian billionaire, in exchange for political favors. The other two cases involve alleged deals with media moguls - weaker competition and regulatory perks for a telecom company, in exchange for friendlier media coverage. A scheme many in the region would recognize without a translator.

As the trial runs on, his rating is falling apart. Support for his mandate dropped from 40.5 percent in early March to 29.4 percent in June. Part of the reason is also Trump's deal with Iran, negotiated without Israeli involvement - over 92 percent of Israelis see it as an Iranian triumph. When your biggest ally makes peace over your head, it hurts twice.

The rescue attempt is interesting too. In November 2025, Netanyahu requested a pardon, and Trump personally wrote to Israeli president Herzog asking for it. Herzog refused - there's no precedent for pardoning an official before they've been convicted. Elections are set for October 27, though analysts predict an earlier date. Netanyahu is weakened, but not finished. And here's the Balkan lesson: politicians who cling to power while the court works rarely fall easily - they fight to the last vote, even when the chair is already wobbling beneath them.