Netanyahu fumes at court in corruption trial testimony; ‘Lower your tone,’ judge responds
Prime minister bangs on table, bristles at being told to speed up testimony, says should receive time to counter the charges in detail, accuses prosecution of ‘ruining his life’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu erupted in anger, shouting at judges after they instructed his lawyer to hurry up with his line of direct questioning on Wednesday, during his 17th day testifying in his corruption trial.
Netanyahu banged on the table in the Tel Aviv District Court, demanding judges grant him more time to counter allegations against him, and was told to lower his voice. He also accused prosecutors of “putting him through hell.”
The premier’s outburst took place after his lawyer Amit Hadad asked him about the 46th item on a list of over 300 alleged illicit attempts by him or his aides to intervene in the coverage of the Walla news site.
The indictment against Netanyahu in Case 4000 asserts these alleged attempts were core to a bribery deal with the Walla’s owner Shaul Elovitch, who is said to have promised the premier positive media coverage in exchange for regulatory benefits to his other businesses.
The item in question was a demand for the news site to run a story about the Netanyahu family going to the grave of the prime minister’s late brother Yoni — killed while leading the 1976 Operation Entebbe that rescued over 100 hostages from Uganda after terrorists hijacked a plane — ahead of Memorial Day.
“I wasn’t involved” in the request, Netanyahu insisted. “This isn’t a demand, it borders on a plea.”
On his second day of testimony this week, Netanyahu acknowledged that he had urged Elovitch to move Walla’s political orientation rightwards, and even went so far as to advise him to fire its staff. He nevertheless maintained that the media outlet never favored him, and was in fact actively hostile.
He went on to tell judges: “Your Honors, after 10 years I’m allowed to say this: So many things here are absurd, but how was this included in the indictment? The charge works in a different direction here, not against me.”
After judges told Hadad several times to hurry up and skip what they deemed repetitive responses to some of the items on the list, Netanyahu lashed out at them, complaining that he should receive more time to counter the charges in detail.
Netanyahu banged on the table several times during the exchange, prompting Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman to tell him to lower his voice.
“I usually am a very restrained person,” he retorted, “but this is something unacceptable. They took our lives and ruined them. I am carrying out my duties as prime minister [even] at this moment. I come here twice a week! But I deserve the right to shatter these absurd [allegations] and show that everything is based on a complete lie!”
He accused investigators of “malicious recklessness” for not checking and questioning him about certain allegations. “This cannot pass quietly,” Netanyahu said. He also took aim at state prosecutors, saying they “live in an alternate universe” and charging that “you have put me through hell.”
After ceasing to shout at the judges, the premier was then handed an envelope, read its contents and requested a 40-minute break, which was granted.
Judges confirmed two weeks ago that Netanyahu’s testimony would be heard only twice a week, rather than three times a week, for the next two months.
Netanyahu is on trial in three corruption cases. He faces charges of fraud and breach of trust in Case 1000 and Case 2000, and charges of bribery, as well as fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000.
Case 1000 revolves around allegations that Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, received expensive gifts illicitly from Hollywood media mogul Arnon Milchan worth some NIS 700,000, and that Netanyahu violated conflict of interest laws when he provided Milchan with assistance in renewing his long-term US residency visa and sought to help him with tax issues.
In Case 2000, the prime minister is accused of fraud and breach of trust over his alleged attempt to reach a quid pro quo agreement with the publisher of the Yedioth Aharaonot newspaper Arnon (Noni) Mozes, whereby Yedioth would give the prime minister more positive media coverage in exchange for legislation weakening its key rival, the Israel Hayom free sheet.
Case 4000, also known as the Bezeq-Walla case, is the most serious the prime minister faces, in which he is accused of authorizing regulatory decisions that financially benefited Bezeq telecommunications giant shareholder Elovitch by hundreds of millions of shekels. In return, Netanyahu allegedly received favorable media coverage from the Walla news site, which Elovitch also owned.
Netanyahu denies wrongdoing and says the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
