The Third Day of Testimony in Case 4000: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived this morning (Monday) at the Tel Aviv District Court for the third day of testimony in his trial.
What is Case 4000 About?
In Case 4000 (Bezeq-Walla), Netanyahu is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. The indictment describes unusual responsiveness by Shaul Elovitch to coverage demands on the Walla site in exchange for Netanyahu’s actions benefiting Bezeq, owned by Elovitch, in regulatory matters with the Ministry of Communications. Unusually, the judges summoned Netanyahu’s defense attorneys and prosecution representatives, expressing that “there are difficulties in establishing the bribery offense in the case” and suggesting the prosecution withdraw the bribery charge.
Live Updates from the Hearing:
13:54 Netanyahu addressed the judges: “Let me clarify. They claim that I made a telepathic understanding with Elovitch three weeks before the elections. In these elections, this site, based on what we see, is more hostile than other sites or media outlets.”
13:44 Attorney Haddad reminded that the event occurred days after the dinner between him and Elovitch, during which it was claimed that “understandings” were reached between the two. The lawyer asked Netanyahu: “Why didn’t you reach out and say, ‘Shaul, this coverage is not good, and why are you not allowing me to include a response from Likud?'” In response, the Prime Minister said, “Because there was no understanding and no agreement. This is an invention that collapses in on itself.”
13:40 Haddad and Netanyahu suggested a scenario where Walla chose to emphasize the Labor Party’s response to an action: “This shows that Walla was and remains a very hostile site and doesn’t even pretend to be professional,” they stated. Afterward, another article about the Labor Party was presented, also without a response from Likud.
13:33 Attorney Haddad presented a demand from the indictment to remove a publication by Lieberman regarding the polls, and showed that the article was not removed.
13:23 After reviewing Netanyahu’s request, the judges decided to postpone the hearing that was scheduled for tomorrow. Now: the hearing has resumed.
12:28 The judges are reviewing a note detailing the reason for a request for a closed-door session.
12:26 Netanyahu requests to cancel tomorrow’s hearing; the reason is submitted to the judges in writing.
12:16 The Prime Minister emphasizes that in those days “and even today,” he has no access to a computer or mobile phone: “How can I be looking for hours when I have nothing to look at? I’m busy, traveling the country from place to place.”
12:14 According to the indictment, it was claimed that Rubinstein wrote “the big one is sitting and waiting for hours,” referring to the Prime Minister. Netanyahu responded, “It’s truly unbelievable, hours before the election countdown, I’m sitting and waiting for hours? He says I’m watching the site?!” Netanyahu added, “I can’t look at Walla for hours or even minutes. I don’t look at Walla because I have nothing to look with.”
12:11 Netanyahu clarified again that he was not part of Rubinstein’s requests as claimed in the indictment, discussing one of the requests he was not questioned about in the investigation.
12:04 Attorney Haddad: “Did you ask Rubinstein to convey a message to Elovitch?” Netanyahu replied, “No.”
11:58 Haddad moves on to ask about the next article, the fourth out of 315, which deals with a demand to publish against Eldad Yaniv’s statement to vote for Bennett if not voting for the left.
11:24 Attorney Haddad requests a brief closed-door session afterward, similar to Netanyahu’s request at the end of the second testimony.
11:23 After Netanyahu said before the break that he “would be happy to show everyone the note,” the Prime Minister retracted. “The notes relate to my actions as Prime Minister. There’s a limit to what I can disclose here.” In response, the prosecutor declared that notes would not be allowed in the cross-examination.
11:05 At the defense’s request, the judges approved a 10-minute break.
10:56 An envelope from the National Security Council was handed to the Prime Minister.: At the defense’s request, the judges approved a 10-minute break.
10:43: Netanyahu criticized the bribery allegation not presented to him during the investigation. “This is what they harmed, ruining people’s lives, affecting my family and the entire country, leading us to a series of election campaigns based on these claims, supposedly substantiating the bribery accusation.”
10:34: Attorney Haddad asked Netanyahu, “Generally, what does your family know about Likud’s messages and nuances?” Netanyahu replied, “They weren’t involved in the campaign at all nor knew about these things. My wife wasn’t aware of these nuances; these are her views and thoughts, maintaining an independent connection with Rubinstein without my opinion or knowledge.”
10:30: Netanyahu on how he was questioned: “They didn’t show me the materials or give me a chance to respond or check. I would shatter to pieces, as I think I will soon, all the allegations brought here. They set a target obliviously to justice or truth.”
10:24: Netanyahu continued distancing himself from Rubinstein’s mediation: “There are lines of communication and spokesmanship. If I need to reach Elovitch, I can call him. Why would I need Rubinstein sitting in America, who doesn’t understand the campaign and in conflicting times?”
10:15: According to Netanyahu, the election campaign functioning depicted Ze’ev Rubinstein, acting as a “mediator” between him and Walla, either “operated independently or in consultation with my wife, wanting to please her,” not subject to Netanyahu’s directives.
10:15: Netanyahu’s defense attorney asked the Prime Minister to explain how the election campaign functions days before the election regarding message precision and distribution. Netanyahu replied, “It’s very organized, working by surveys and focus groups, striving to fine-tune the message, especially towards the end. Improvisations are avoided.”
10:11: At the onset of his remarks, Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Haddad sought to review Netanyahu’s initial approaches to Walla before the 2013 election within the main investigation process of Case 4000.
Summary of the First Day of Testimony: Denial of a “Give and Take” Relationship
On the first day of his testimony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied the allegations in Case 4000, which claimed he instructed Shlomo Filber to provide regulatory benefits to Bezeq in exchange for favorable coverage on the Wallasite. He argued that all actions taken were within the framework of standard procedures and that there was no “give and take” relationship with Shaul Elovitch. Netanyahu presented documents proving that the decisions were signed before he knew Elovitch. Additionally, he rejected the notion that Walla’s coverage held significant importance for him in the relevant years, noting that his relationship with Elovitch did not include any understanding of content changes on the site.
Summary of the Second Day of Testimony: “There was no Unusual Responsiveness”
On the second day of his testimony, the discussion focused on the “guidance meeting” between Netanyahu and Filber, during which Netanyahu allegedly instructed Filber to favor Bezeq. The defense argued that the dates cited by the prosecution do not match reality and that requests related to Walla were made months after the meeting with Elovitch. Netanyahu emphasized that there was never “unusual responsiveness” from Walla for positive coverage of him, noting that the site did not support him even during the 2015 election campaign. He dismissed further claims of repeated requests for favorable coverage and clarified that even if the media were right-leaning, he would support a diversity of opinions. During the hearing, documents and articles were presented to strengthen the defense’s positions and challenge the prosecution’s claims.
Expectation Ahead
The Prime Minister’s testimony is expected to continue for several months, with him testifying three times a week, six hours a day. After completing the main examination by his defense attorneys, Netanyahu will enter the cross-examination stage by the prosecution.
