Key witness in PM’s trial files complaint over death threat against her, her family

A key witness in the ongoing corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has filed a complaint to police over a tweet that threatened her and her family members, according to a Saturday report.

“Hadas Klein, that daughter of a whore, with God’s help won’t see the light of day,” a tweet posted Friday by an account identifying as “israel” read. “She stole money into her own pocket and tried to blame the prime minister. It will cost her and her family in blood. They won’t be immune. We will hunt down everyone in her family and her first of all.”

Klein was a personal assistant to Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and has become a key witness for the prosecution in Case 1000 against the premier, which revolves around luxury gifts Netanyahu and his family received from the moguls and benefits he is accused of having provided in return. The indictment against Netanyahu alleges that he assisted Milchan with US visa issues and regulatory and tax benefits relating to his business interests in Israel.

During her testimony last year, Klein described to the court how she was the conduit for a steady supply of premium cigars and champagne to the Netanyahus, goods she said were not volunteered by Milchan or Packer but rather were requested directly by the premier and his wife.

Milchan wrapped up his testimony at the trial on Thursday.

Police have opened an investigation into the threat against Klein, Channel 12 reported.

Klein has been the target of threats and harassment in the past. In December, she filed a defamation lawsuit against a staunchly pro-Netanyahu journalist, seeking NIS 5 million ($1.45 million) for what she termed a smear campaign against her during the course of her testimony.

In June 2022, she was threatened by a person identifying himself as Shimon Carmieli on Twitter, who posted threats and offensive messages against Klein for months that included statements such as: “With God’s help, soon Hadas Klein will die” and “I hope that Hadas Klein has a seizure in her black heart.”

Last month, Klein sent a letter through her lawyer to Netanyahu’s defense team, accusing them of threatening her in the courtroom.

During her months-long testimony, Klein detailed gifts to the Netanyahus from her employers, including premium cigars, bottles of champagne and a diamond-studded bracelet. The goods were provided between 2011 and 2016, according to the indictment.

In court proceedings, the defense has sought to downplay the size of the gifts and other parts of Klein’s testimony, which ended in September.

Klein also described how Milchan had managed to obtain a 10-year US visa in 2013, and how Netanyahu had set up a phone call between the businessman and then-US secretary of state John Kerry to help obtain it.

Netanyahu’s defense team sought to poke holes in Klein’s narrative by arguing that the former prime minister and his wife had a genuine friendship with Milchan, who gave them gifts out of a sense of friendship and not in order to receive favors. The defense also said the actual amount of champagne and cigars given to Netanyahu was less than Klein claimed.

Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.