PM says Syrian upheaval and ‘7 fronts’ of war ‘require my attention’ during ongoing trial

Taking the stand in his corruption trial in the Tel Aviv District Court, Benjamin Netanyahu says that the recent upheaval in Syria has made his testimony as a sitting prime minister even more challenging.

“I want to talk about it, I want to testify,” he says.

Nevertheless, “I am leading Israel and the State of Israel on seven [war] fronts, and I thought and still think I can do all these things at once.”

“But a few days ago, an earthquake happened in our region,” the prime minister says. “We have already changed the face of the Middle East, and this has global effects. It requires my attention. It is possible to find a balance between the needs of the country and the needs of the trial.”

Netanyahu says that “if I wanted good press, I could have taken the agenda of the left and then I wouldn’t be standing here today.” He calls it “absurd that all my life, all my public service has been the total opposite” of attention and headline seeking.