Netanyahu, who is facing allegations of corruption in three separate cases, has denied any wrongdoing as the trial has continued to get delayed in part due to the country’s ongoing conflicts. He’s accused of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in separate matters.
“I have been waiting eight years for this day to present the truth,” he said on Monday, according to the Associated Press, claiming to be the victim of a “political hunt” that he claimed had “ruined the lives of dozens of people” caught up in the trial.
Netanyahu will take questions from his own defense attorneys first and will then be questioned by prosecutors. The trial began in 2020 but the court’s proceedings have been delayed several times.
He is accused of accepting lavish gifts from Arnon Milchan, an Israeli Hollywood film producer, and Australian billionaire James Packer in exchange for helping Milchan secure a visa to the United States and for advancing a tax exemption law that could have benefited Israelis living abroad. He’s facing fraud and breach of trust charges regarding this case, which is known as Case 1000.
Milchan testified in June 2023 that he bought Netanyahu expensive gifts, including cigars and champagne, and inquired about the status of his visa, according to the Jerusalem Post. He acknowledged that he appealed to the “whole world” for help obtaining the visa. He also reached out to Netanyahu and advocated a tax-exemption extension that would’ve applied to him.
He faces the same charges in Case 2000, in which he allegedly made a deal with Arnon Mozes, the controlling shareholder of the Israeli news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, to receive favorable news coverage in exchange for his support of legislation to slow the growth of a rival paper.
In May of last year, Ari Harow, a former aide to Netanyahu, testified that the prime minister sought an agreement with Mozes for more favorable coverage due to his concern that he could lose the 2015 general election. Harow testified that Netanyahu had asked him to set up the meetings at the prime minister’s residence and directed him to secretly record the meetings, according to the Times of Israel.
The Knesset, Israel’s governing body, did not ultimately pass the legislation that would’ve constricted Israel Hayom.
In the third case, Case 4000, Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust, and bribery. The prime minister, who was communications minister at the time, allegedly gave regulatory benefits to Shaul Elovitch, the owner of Bezeq, who also controlled the news website Walla in exchange for favorable news coverage.
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The resumption of the case comes as the Israeli military continues to battle against Hamas while a ceasefire is still held between Israel and Hezbollah. Israeli forces are also now operating in Syria due to the collapse of the Assad regime and concerns that his military’s arsenal could fall into the hands of jihadist groups.
Netanyahu is also facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over Israel’s conduct in Gaza, though Israel and the U.S. both deny the ICC’s jurisdiction and have denounced its decision to issue the warrant.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
