At court, Netanyahu says he ‘absolutely did not’ discuss give and take with Elovitch

Testifying at court, Netanyahu addresses questions about his interactions with Shaul Elovitch, former owner of the Walla news site. Netanyahu insists he never had an agreement with Elovitch regarding the site’s coverage. He characterizes their conversations as general discussions about the media landscape.

Netanyahu describes his first dinner meeting with Elovitch, saying he viewed it as an opportunity to get to know him, emphasizing that Bezeq, the telecommunications company owned by Elovitch at the time, was not discussed. Instead, he says he spoke broadly about Israel’s media environment, which he described as dominated by left-leaning outlets, and advocated for greater diversity.

“I told him there’s an economic opportunity in providing the right-wing public with an outlet that reflects its positions,” Netanyahu says, while stressing that he made similar appeals to other media figures.

Netanyahu notes Rupert Murdoch’s creation of Fox News in the US, saying it showed the economic potential of catering to underrepresented audiences. He says he had hoped Walla could evolve into a quality right-leaning website.

Asked why he believes Elovitch didn’t implement changes at Walla, Netanyahu suggests that Elovitch, despite his right-wing inclinations, was “frightened” by the potential backlash from staff and media critics.

Asked if the two discussed a quid pro quo arrangement, Netanyahu says: “Absolutely not. There was no discussion of give and take.”

Netanyahu also dismisses the notion that he frequently contacted Elovitch, asserting that their discussions were limited and focused on the site’s potential.