From the Liveblog of
Monday, July 11, 2022
Billionaire’s aide testifies about $46,000 necklace he gave Sara Netanyahu
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
Key state witness Hadas Klein ends her testimony today with more lurid details about the alleged conveyor belt of gifts provided to former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara by billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer.
Klein was accompanied by security personnel on her way into court this morning following a complaint of harassment that she filed against a journalist who photographed her home last week and published the pictures online.
Klein testifies about one set of earrings Sara requested from Milchan that were worth NIS 6,000 to NIS 8,000 and were designed for her specifically by a jewelry studio.
The witness also gives testimony about a North Face jacket she bought for Netanyahu at Sara’s behest worth NIS 1,800, as well as around 10 luxury Brioni shirts bought by Milchan for the prime minister worth “several hundred pounds sterling each,” from a shop in the Savoy Hotel in London.
Klein also testifies about a bracelet worth $46,000 with 121 diamonds that Packer’s assistant bought for Sara Netanyahu after she requested “something beautiful” ahead of the couple’s anniversary and a visit to Washington DC.
Aside from the frequent purchases of luxury gifts for the Netanyahus, Klein mentions intervention by Milchan on behalf of Yossi Cohen, who at the time was seeking to be appointed head of the National Security Council.
Klein says that Milchan had told her Cohen contacted him about his interest in the position and that Milchan had told Cohen he would talk to Netanyahu about it. Klein says one Friday Milchan phoned Klein and told her to tell Cohen that he had spoken with the Netanyahus and that they had agreed to Cohen’s appointment.
Klein is set to be cross-examined by Netanyahu’s defense attorney tomorrow. The former prime minister will not attend.
