Prosecution says Milchan will not come to Israel to testify in Netanyahu trial

24 April 2023, 6:07 pm

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Arnon Milchan poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film 'Widows,' showing as part of the opening gala of the BFI London Film Festival in London, on October 10, 2018. (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Arnon Milchan, an Israeli Hollywood film producer who is a key witness in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial, will not be coming to Israel to testify, the prosecution tells the court.

The prosecution says Milchan is willing to testify by video. The judges have yet to decide whether to accept the proposal.

Case 1000 — one of the three cases Netanyahu faces charges in — involves suspicions that he illicitly accepted gifts including cigars and champagne from two billionaires, Milchan and Australian magnate James Packer.

Milchan was not charged in the case, while Netanyahu was indicted for fraud and breach of trust. The premier is also charged with fraud in the other two cases, and bribery in one of them. He denies all wrongdoing.