Today (Tuesday) begins the defense case in the Netanyahu trials, with the testimony of Prime Minister Netanyahu himself, who is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in 3 different cases. The testimony constitutes the peak of the criminal proceedings against the Prime Minister, which began with investigations eight years ago, and progressed with the filing of indictments four years ago. Much has changed since then, and this process has had significant political, legal, and social implications in the State of Israel.
At This Stage, Netanyahu is Defending Himself Against Charges in Three Cases:
- Case 1000: Receiving unlawful benefits from businessmen close to him, including Arnon Milchan and James Packer. The benefits included various gifts such as cigars and champagne, valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels; Netanyahu is accused of breach of trust for agreeing to receive the gifts despite their unusual size, and also for promoting personal matters related to the businessmen in exchange for them.
- Case 2000: – Discussion of a bribery deal with Arnon (Noni) Mozes, the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth; Netanyahu recorded conversations where he discussed with Mozes promoting a law to close the newspaper Israel Hayom, the main competitor of Yedioth, in exchange for more favorable coverage in Mozes’s newspaper. The deal was not realized, but for the mere proposal and promotion of it, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust.
- Case 4000: A case similar in nature to Case 2000, in which Netanyahu agreed to promote regulatory relief for companies owned by Shaul Elovitch, the owner of the Walla website, in exchange for positive coverage. The deal between the two was allegedly realized, and Netanyahu is accused of bribery and breach of trust.
It is important to note that within the framework of the prosecution’s case, the prosecution has not succeeded in creating a strong enough evidentiary basis for a large part of the charges. For example, the judges at the lower court suggested omitting the bribery charge in Case 4000 due to its weakness, a suggestion that was rejected by the prosecution.
Netanyahu: “Waiting to Present the Truth”
In recent weeks, frantic discussions have taken place regarding Netanyahu’s testimony, both due to the security risk of the Prime Minister’s known presence in a certain location, and due to the damage that will result from the Prime Minister having to devote most of his time and attention to legal matters, rather than to the dramatic security developments on Israel’s borders. Ultimately, it was decided that Netanyahu would testify in a protected courtroom in Tel Aviv several times a week.
At a press conference he held yesterday regarding the security situation in Syria and Lebanon, Netanyahu also referred to his testimony that will begin today at 10 AM: “Tomorrow I will speak!” declared the Prime Minister, “I do not ask for and have not asked for preferential rights, but I expect not to have diminished rights. It is very unusual to testify three times a week; one can balance between the needs of the state and the trial… I heard in the media that they say I want to evade the trial. I want to evade? What nonsense. I have been waiting for this day for eight years. I have been waiting to present the truth, waiting to completely blow up the absurd and unfounded accusations directed against me.”
