Livni testifies at Netanyahu corruption trial she was surprised by PM’s sudden change of view on newspaper law

Former cabinet minister Tzipi Livni says during testimony in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial that she was surprised back in 2014 when the premier allowed ministers to vote as they saw fit on the so-called Israel Hayom law, which would have harmed the interests of the ardently pro-Netanyahu free newspaper.

Livni was testifying in Case 2000, in which Netanyahu is charged with having discussed a quid pro quo deal with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Noni Mozes in the form of getting positive media coverage of himself and his family, and negative coverage of his political opponents, in Yedioth in return for advancing a law that would serve to reduce the large circulation of rival daily Israel Hayom.

“It was clear to me that like in the past, the prime minister would strongly oppose this law, he would enforce coalition discipline [in the key Ministerial Committee for Legislation], the law wouldn’t pass, and the whole thing would end,” says Livni.

Livni, who chaired the committee at the time, said that just before the bill was to be brought for a vote she was called to Netanyahu’s office and said that an agreement had been reached within the coalition for freedom of the vote on the bill.

“From my point of view that was a surprise. The upshot of freedom of the vote was that he was freeing the bill to [go to] the Knesset and that he would no longer be able to influence it,” says the former foreign and justice minister.