Netanyahu ridicules state’s claim Milchan’s interests benefited from relationship

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Monday in his testimony in his criminal trial that his relationships with billionaires Arnon Milchan and James Packer stemmed from true friendship, and were not based on any ulterior motives, or the fact that they gave him gifts.

Netanyahu denied he helped Milchan, an esteemed Hollywood movie producer, with his efforts to obtain a long-term US visa, and ridiculed the prosecution’s efforts to assert that Milchan used his ties with the prime minister to promote his business interests in Tinseltown.

Netanyahu also insisted that he had a real friendship with Packer, and rejected the prosecution’s claim that he made burdensome demands for luxury gifts from the Australian businessman, saying sarcastically that Packer had been able to “cope” with giving him a box of cigars from time to time.

Following the end of the court’s lunchtime recess, but before the judges had returned to the courtroom, a member of the viewing public launched a verbal assault at the prime minister, telling him to “wipe the smile off his face” and “bring back the hostages.

Netanyahu’s attorney Amit Hadad protested vehemently to the judges when they returned, accusing court security guards of intervening too late and threatening to “get up and leave” if such an incident recurred.

Netanyahu, testifying in cross-examination by the prosecution for the third time on Monday, answered questions regarding Case 1000, in which he is accused of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly providing various favors to Milchan, who gave the prime minister and his family luxury goods worth hundreds of thousands of shekels.

In his cross-examination, prosecutor Yonatan Tadmor of the State Attorney’s Office repeatedly sought to assert that Milchan was only interested in friendship with Netanyahu for the personal benefits it would accrue.

Netanyahu strongly rejected the allegation, saying he and Milchan had “a very personal, intimate relationship, a close family connection,” that persisted even after he became “a political corpse” following his election defeat in 1999 and was at a “political nadir.”

Tadmor persisted nevertheless, contending that Milchan benefited from being seen as close to Netanyahu, especially during a visit by the prime minister to Hollywood in 2014 and events Milchan hosted with Hollywood celebrities and Netanyahu.

“He was showing that he was connected to all points of power in Israel, and this was good for his business,” asserted Tadmor, adding that Milchan made similar arrangements at different times with then-foreign minister Silvan Shalom.

“That’s ridiculous. If you think that bringing a foreign minister from Israel or Austria will make an impression on Hollywood, that’s ridiculous, it’s so provincial,” scoffed Netanyahu, who insisted that Milchan did such things as part of his effort to boost Israel’s image.

“Milchan has the strongest base in Hollywood, he’s the wealthiest producer in the world. He needs to bring some government clerk to increase his power? It’s such a provincial attitude,” he claimed.

Tadmor also sought to call into question Netanyahu’s assertion that he and Packer were close friends, questioning how many times they met over the years, whether or not they spoke on the phone when Packer was not in Israel, and whether Packer was not more impressed with Netanyahu’s position as prime minister than taken with the premier on a personal level.

The indictment against Netanyahu says he and his wife received some NIS 229,000 worth of cigars and champagne from Packer between 2014 and 2016, but does not accuse the prime minister of having tried to help the Australian billionaire as a result of the relationship.

Netanyahu insisted in response to Tadmor’s questions that he had been impressed by Packer when Milchan introduced them, that Packer had been impressed by him, and that they formed a relationship on an emotional level.

“You’re trying to do something ridiculous here, to know where the personal chemistry, the personal relationship, and paternal feelings ended, and where the appreciation for my statements and speeches, and actions began,” argued Netanyahu.

The prime minister denied claims that he had asked Packer to buy a house next to his own home in Caesarea, claiming that it had been Packer’s own initiative so that he could spend more time with the prime minister when he was in Israel.

Netanyahu also denied demanding gifts from Packer.

“I didn’t have requests or demands. Was it hard for him to give me a box of cigars? There were no demands, it wasn’t hard for him, and I think he managed to stand up to this campaign of pressure to give me a box of cigars from time to time,” said Netanyahu sarcastically.

The prime minister is scheduled to testify again on Wednesday.

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.

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 Ahronoth 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 case the prime minister faces, in which he is accused of authorizing regulatory decisions that financially benefited Bezeq telecommunications giant shareholder Shaul 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 any wrongdoing and says all the charges were fabricated in a political coup led by the police and state prosecution.