Netanyahu arrived in the court in a dark suit and blue tie and took the stand after being sworn in by one of the judges.

The prime minister instantly gave voice to his frustration that he was sitting in court and not dealing with national security issues — specifically the chaos unfolding in Syria, which he described as one of the most important developments in the Middle East in a hundred years. 

“The only thing in front of me is the future of the state, not my own future,” he told the court. He proceeded to describe how he works 17 hours a day in the service of Israel, rarely seeing his family. He added that it was “absurd” to believe he had time to enjoy a lavish lifestyle. 

Two former high-ranking Syrian military figures who played key roles in the now-deposed Assad regime have been indicted on war crimes charges in the United States and accused of torturing American citizens.

Jamil Hassan, 72, and Abdul Salam Mahmoud, 65, both former Syrian Air Force intelligence officers, were charged in connection with their roles at the Mezzeh Military Airport near Damascus.

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Russia is continuing its dialogue with all countries in the region, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said today when asked his his country feared losing military influence in the Middle East following the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“We have intersecting interests with many countries, coinciding interests,” Peskov, adding that Moscow cooperated with a number of countries in the region “and we intend to continue all these processes.”

“Now is certainly the time for a deep analysis of the events taking place,” he said, adding, “It is difficult to predict the final forms that will follow after this period of uncertainty,” Peskov said.

After Syrian rebels took control of Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Israel carried out strikes and launched a ground incursion into Syria.

The move has been criticized by several countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations, but Israeli officials said it was a temporary measure to prevent chemical and biological weapons from getting into the wrong hands.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his country's incursion into Syria after his forces began seizing the buffer zone in Golan Heights.

“The Golan Heights will be an inseparable part of the State of Israel forever,” he said yesterday.

On a visit to the Golan Heights Netanyahu said he was briefed on the military’s deployment there. “I instructed the army to take the actions necessary to prevent harm to our security,” he added.

The move has been criticized by several countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations has called the seizure a breach of its 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria that established the demilitarized buffer zone.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has started taken the stand in his corruption trial that began nearly five years ago.

Netanyahu will answer during his appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.

He is accused of promoting advantageous regulation for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of himself and his family.

He is also accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for assisting him with personal and business interests.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing, saying the charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system that is out to topple his lengthy rule.

Smoke from airstrikes billowed over Syria's capital this morning.

There have been more than 300 Israeli strikes since Islamist-led rebels toppled the country’s longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad over the weekend, according to the U.K. based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, said the group will issue a “list number 1” which would include the name of senior individuals involved in the torture of Syrians.

“We will pursue war criminals and seek their extradition from the countries they have fled to, so they may receive their just punishment,” he said in a statement released by the HTS general command.

Amnesty will be granted to those conscripted in the military, he said, adding HTS was seeking information on other military officers implicated in war crimes.

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