Benjamin Netanyahu begins testifying in his corruption trial, calls charges a 'sea of ​​nonsense'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the step on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial, setting off what is expected to be a weeklong trial that will draw attention to his legal troubles as he faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes and murder. fighting continues in Gaza.

It is the first time that a sitting Israeli prime minister has taken the position of a criminal defendant, an embarrassing milestone for a leader who has tried to cultivate an image as a high-level and respected politician.

“I have waited eight years until now, to tell the truth,” Netanyahu said, standing on stage in a packed Tel Aviv court. He called the charges against him “nonsense” and promised that his version would cut the prosecution's case.

Netanyahu will answer when he appears in court on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.

The testimony, which will be held six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up a large part of Netanyahu's working hours, prompting critics to question whether he can manage a country at war in one place, containing a second drop, and looking at other possible regional threats, including from Iran or the recent fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Netanyahu, in his testimony, said he could “find a balance” between both commitments.

His lawyer asked that he be allowed access to the notes during his testimony to ensure he can continue to run the country.

3 different cases

The most damaging case against Netanyahu involves the smuggling scandal of two people close to him to testify against him for allegedly promoting regulatory decisions worth hundreds of millions of dollars at the Israeli telecommunications company Bezeq. In return, Bezeq's popular news site, Walla, is said to have provided good news about Netanyahu and his family.

Netanyahu is also accused of giving a law to newspaper publishers that would weaken his biggest rival paper in order to get good news.

In addition, the prime minister is accused of accepting about $ 200,000 of champagne and cigarettes from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and in his place, it is said that he worked for Milchan in US visa matters, tried to approve a kind tax break for him and wanted to promote his interests. in the Israeli media market.

Netanyahu, 75, denies the charges, saying the charges are a witch hunt fueled by a hostile media and a biased legal system seeking to overturn his longstanding rule.

Netanyahu appeared relaxed as he began to tell his version of events and shared personal details about his life that he hopes will shape how the judges see him. He said he had lost sleep over the media coverage but found that to be nothing – compared to the prosecution's attempts to paint him as delusional.

He said he used to smoke weed but he couldn't finish it because of his job but he hated champagne. One case revolves around him getting a “supply line” of mills and champagne from billionaire partners.

Rejected calls to resign

Dozens of people gathered outside the court in Tel Aviv, some protesting against Netanyahu, including family members of hostages held in Gaza, and a group of his supporters. A banner placed in front of the court read: “Minister of Crime.”

According to Israeli law, impeached prime ministers are not required to step down. But the charges against Netanyahu have caused deep divisions in Israel, with protesters calling for his resignation and former political allies refusing to work in government with the Israeli leader, fueling a political conflict that has led to five elections in less than four years starting in 2019.

Netanyahu's supporters see the cases as the result of bias and excesses in the justice system.

An Israeli court has rejected a request by Netanyahu's lawyers to reduce the expected hours of testimony, as well as other requests to postpone its start, which they say are necessary because of the prime minister's busy schedule and major national challenges. A decision is not expected until 2026 at the earliest and Netanyahu will have the option of appealing to the Supreme Court.

The court has spent months hearing prosecution witnesses in the three cases, including Netanyahu's aides who were state witnesses. The prosecutor tried to portray the prime minister as a fanatical and law-breaking leader in order to improve his public image.

Netanyahu's support plummeted after a Hamas-led attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, with large sections of the public accusing his leadership of failing to stop the attack, and if elections were held today he would struggle to form a government.

The Israeli leader, along with the former defense minister, are also facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for war crimes related to the Gaza war. Other leaders who received ICC warrants include Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir.