‘It’s a courthouse coup d’etat’: Netanyahu’s corruption trial bitterly divides Israel

Rival protests held during the prime minister's first court session underscore the growing rift in the country

The court session lasted just 50 minutes but sharply divided the nation.

Rival protests held in different parts of Jerusalem over the start of Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-awaited corruption trial offered a gloomy insight into the future of Israel, riven by bitter disagreements.

From the corridors of the courthouse, Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to ever stand trial, blasted the country’s judicial system for trying to “depose” him.