‘Bring stars’: Witness says Sara Netanyahu demanded film mogul get celebs for events
Aide to Arnon Milchan testifies that ex-PM’s wife was furious after he introduced Brad Pitt to one of her rivals; says she received champagne whenever her husband got cigars
Former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife, Sara, became furious when Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan hosted Brad Pitt along with one of her society rivals, and demanded that he also provide film stars for events that she attended, a key witness testified at Netanyahu’s corruption trial.
Hadas Klein, a senior aide to Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan, took the stand Tuesday for further cross-examination by Netanyahu’s defense attorney Amit Hadad in Case 1000, which relates to the luxury gifts the former prime minister and his family received and any quid pro quos Netanyahu may have provided in return.
Klein recounted that Sara Netanyahu became enraged after a picture was published of Milchan, Pitt, Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes and Silvan Shalom. Nir-Mozes is a media personality who was married at the time to Shalom, then a senior Likud politician. The power couple were seen as rivals to the Netanyahus.
“Arnon told me that Brad Pitt met Judy Nir-Mozes and Sara will never forgive him for that,” said Klein. “Arnon said he had to bring some stars because Sara was demanding that Hollywood stars attend events.”
Netanyahu’s lawyer called the statement “a wild lie.”
“So go tell Arnon I’m a wild liar,” retorted Klein.
Klein did not explicitly say that Milchan then brought Hollywood stars to events with the Netanyahus, but they were later pictured with several celebrities at Milchan’s home, including actress Kate Hudson and “The Godfather” star James Caan.
Nir-Mozes — who is the sister of Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes, a defendant in a separate Netanyahu corruption case — appeared to confirm the incident and taunted Sara Netanyahu on Tuesday.
She reposted the picture of her and Pitt on Facebook and Twitter, writing in one post: “Dear Sara, it’s a shame that you did not pick up the phone and ask to come. I would have sorted it out for you in a minute, I’m sure Arnon would not have refused.”
“I have to say that when I heard this story about the screams from Sara that Arnon also received, I grinned with pleasure. If she had only asked, maybe I would have arranged an invitation for her,” Nir-Mozes said in another post.
שרה יקרה, חבל שלא הרמת טלפון וביקשת לבוא. הייתי מסדרת לך את זה בדקה. בטוחה שארנון לא היה מסרב. בכל זאת הבית שלו. pic.twitter.com/959VARmCRk
— ג׳ודי מוזס Judy Mozes (@JudyMozes) September 13, 2022
Earlier in Tuesday’s proceedings, Klein was again asked about sending Netanyahu birthday presents of cigars and champagne, with Hadad trying to show that Milchan himself consumed the champagne while hosting and also gifted it to others.
“I don’t send champagne to Netanyahu, I send champagne to Mrs. Netanyahu on Mr. Netanyahu’s birthday,” Klein said, emphasizing that Sara Netanyahu regularly demanded shipments of champagne.
“When cigars are sent to Netanyahu, even not on his birthday, there is no way that champagne will not also be sent to Mrs. Netanyahu,” added Klein and said: “I don’t give out champagne without Arnon saying, ‘Send it.’”
Hadad, the former prime minister’s lawyer, was attempting to show that the purchases of champagne were not in fact for the Netanyahus and asked why purchases were only made when Milchan was in Israel.
“Arnon sent me to tell Mrs. Netanyahu that our accountants say it looks bad when large purchases are made when he is not around,” Klein responded.
The indictment in Case 1000 against the former prime minister accuses Netanyahu of violating conflict of interest laws when he provided Milchan with assistance in renewing his long-term US residency visa. It alleges that this — alongside Milchan’s supply of an estimated NIS 700,000 ($205,000) worth of cigars, champagne, jewelry and other luxury items to Netanyahu and his wife — constituted fraud and breach of trust.
Klein’s cross-examination began prior to the court’s six-week summer recess. She has addressed Milchan’s activities in the international arena and alleged requests for help from Netanyahu, as well as her own role in supplying the former premier and his wife with what she said were requested gifts, including NIS 3,000 in petty cash Netanyahu asked for use during a trip to Tiberias.
Along with Case 1000, Netanyahu faces fraud and breach of trust charges in two other cases, as well as bribery in one of them. He has denied wrongdoing and claims without evidence that the charges were fabricated and part of a bid by the state prosecution and political rivals to end his career.