In final day of Case 1000 cross-examination, PM says ex-lawyer’s cancer impacted memory

Prosecutors on Monday concluded their cross-examination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Case 1000, one of three cases against the premier, who claimed that his former lawyer’s recollection of events during the investigation was affected by his illness.

Questioning of the prime minister in Case 4000 was set to begin on Tuesday.

In Case 1000, Netanyahu is accused of fraud and breach of trust for accepting luxury gifts worth hundreds of thousands of shekels from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. The indictment alleges that Netanyahu performed various favors and provided assistance to Milchan, in particular, in return.

At Monday’s hearing, prosecutor Yehonatan Tadmor of the State Attorney’s Office worked to show that records from the Prime Minister’s Office were not an accurate reflection of all of the premier’s meetings with Packer and Milchan.

When Tadmor reminded Netanyahu of meetings with Packer at the billionaire’s home that had not been recorded in official diaries, the premier responded: “You’re trying to create a tsunami of meetings between me and Packer. There’s no such thing.”

Later in the cross-examination, when asked about other discussions that had not been formally recorded, Netanyahu retorted: “If one or two meetings are missing, it doesn’t matter.”

Tadmor then asked Netanyahu about the fact that he said he had sought opinions on the legality of accepting gifts from then-lawyer Yaakov Weinroth, who died in 2018, and PMO attorney Shlomit Barnea Pergo.

Tadmor apparently was seeking to demonstrate that Netanyahu’s versions of events on seeking legal opinions had changed over the years and that he had not fully requested guidance on the matter.

“I can’t read all the Israeli bureaucracy that is thrown at me. I think I know what needs to be done,” Netanyahu said.

When he was then read excerpts from Weinroth’s testimony to investigators on the matter, taken two years before the attorney’s death, Netanyahu claimed that his former lawyer’s cancer had impacted his memory.

“You see that he has Stage 4 cancer and you see the effect — he doesn’t remember a lot of things,” Netanyahu said.

“He didn’t remember Packer, who was his client,” the premier claimed.

Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases, the first sitting prime minister in Israeli history to face criminal charges. He is accused of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and charges of bribery as well as fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000.

The premier has denied any wrongdoing and said all the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.

A hearing for Netanyahu’s testimony in his criminal trial scheduled for Wednesday was canceled by the court due to a “security reason.”

The specific reason for the requested cancellation was not made public.

The request was the latest in a series of changes Netanyahu’s defense team has put before the court in recent weeks and months. He has repeatedly asked to end hearings early due to affairs of state or his health.