On May 24, 2020, Benjamin Netanyahu walked into a courtroom in Jerusalem to face charges of corruption. The occasion was momentous by any measure — Mr. Netanyahu became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to stand trial. But despite these historic charges, the media appeared equally fixated on what Mr. Netanyahu was wearing. Why? He walked into court donning a blue surgical facemask, consistent with public health restrictions for the coronavirus.1 And Mr. Netanyahu was not alone. All of the lawyers and judges in attendance also wore masks, while the three-judge panel positioned themselves behind a glass divider.2 Few have considered how these changes will impact Mr. Netanyahu’s trial, but none can deny that the stage for one of the biggest trials in the world had been fundamentally altered.
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