Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at a Jerusalem court Sunday for the start of his long-delayed corruption trial, rejecting the "ludicrous" charges against him and declaring he was facing the hearing "with my head held high."

Flanked by ministers and bodyguards, Netanyahu addressed reporters before entering the Jerusalem District Court where he was to face charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

Among the most serious allegations against Netanyahu is the claim that he offered media mogul Shaul Elovitch regulatory changes worth millions of dollars to his telecom giant Bezeq in exchange for favourable reporting on the Walla!

After months of suspense and repeated police questioning of Netanyahu, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit in January filed charges against the premier.

Yuval Shany, law professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argued that there is "a basic incompatibility" between Netanyahu's role as head of the government and his status as a criminal defendant.