Walla

July 13, 2021, 4:51 pm

Report: New texts from ex-Walla CEO’s phone strengthen case against Netanyahu

Correspondence also implies other politicians and business people made requests from Ilan Yeshua during his time in the post; trial set to resume July 19

By TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony in the corruption trail against Prime Minister Netanyahu, seen at the District Court in Jerusalem, June 9, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

June 10, 2021, 12:43 am

Court grants defense’s request to search phone of key witness in Netanyahu trial

Judges order that contents of relevant conversations by former Walla boss Ilan Yeshua and others be provided to prime minister’s lawyers, possibly lengthening corruption trial

By TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony at in the case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his trial on allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, at the District Court in Jerusalem, June 7, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

June 7, 2021, 4:43 pm

Former Walla CEO: Story on Sara Netanyahu taking bottle-deposit cash was removed

Ilan Yeshua says order came from above, against his and editor’s wishes; PM’s attorneys continue cross-examination in corruption trial

By TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and President Reuven Rivlin at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, September 25, 2019, when Rivlin tapped Netanyahu to form the next Israeli government. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90

May 27, 2021, 2:57 pm

Ex-Walla CEO testifies he led a campaign against Rivlin on Netanyahu’s behalf

Ilan Yeshua says PM had a clear interest in Rivlin losing 2014 presidential election; cross-examined by premier’s lawyer, Yeshua admits tilting coverage to benefit Liberman, others

By Michael Bachner and TOI staff

Former Labor head Isaac Herzog (left) and MK Shelly Yachimovich at a party conference in Tel Aviv on December 14, 2014. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

May 25, 2021, 5:26 pm

Witness in PM’s trial: Presidential hopeful Herzog called Labor rival a ‘bitch’

Ex-head of center-left party, who is the leading candidate to replace Rivlin, apologizes to Shelly Yachimovich for ‘unnecessary comment’ from 2013

By TOI staff

Former CEO of the Walla news site Ilan Yeshua arrives for his cross-examination in the graft trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the Jerusalem District Court, May 24, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

May 24, 2021, 5:14 pm

Ex-CEO testifies Walla owner said Netanyahu and his aides acted like ‘criminals’

‘Our country has been hijacked by criminals,’ says Ilan Yeshua in PM’s bribery trial, adds newsroom was ‘under continuous abuse’ to produce more favorable coverage of premier

By Michael Bachner and TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony in the case against Prime Minister Netanyahu who is on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, at the District Court in Jerusalem, May 4, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

May 4, 2021, 3:19 pm

Ex-Walla CEO: We removed news about bereaved families because PM didn’t like it

Ilan Yeshua says editors were told to take down stories about families of soldiers killed in 2014 Gaza war; says was made to fawn over Sara Netanyahu as if in ‘Byzantine court’

By TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony in the case against Prime Minister Netanyahu who is on trial on criminal allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, at the District Court in Jerusalem, May 4, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

May 4, 2021, 10:11 am

Netanyahu’s lawyers begin cross-examining key witness in premier’s graft trial

Ilan Yeshua, former CEO of Walla news, has testified that PM controlled website content as part of alleged quid pro quo with owners

By TOI staff

Former Walla news CEO Ilan Yeshua arrives to testify at a Jerusalem court on April 20, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

April 20, 2021, 8:55 pm

Netanyahu’s graft trial to pause for 2 weeks as first witness wraps up testimony

Judges cancel several hearings to allow defense to prepare for cross-examination of ex-Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua

By TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives to give testimony in the corruption trial against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Jerusalem District Court, April 19, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

April 20, 2021, 1:24 am

Walla CEO told to scrap article on PM son’s non-Jewish girlfriend ‘at any cost’

Former news site executive recalls owner ordering him to take down article because Netanyahu was set to sign regulatory measure benefitting their principal firm the next day

By TOI staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara on the night of the Israeli elections, at the party headquarters in Tel Aviv, on March 3, 2020 (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

April 13, 2021, 1:05 pm

Walla owner told CEO: ‘Give Sara everything, Netanyahu’s killing himself for me’

Former chief of news site recalls Elovitch telling him PM was going ‘above and beyond’ to help the company and ‘we have to find a way to repay him’

By TOI staff

Former CEO of Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony in the case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the District Court in Jerusalem, April 12, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

April 12, 2021, 3:10 pm

At trial, Yeshua says Netanyahu was allowed to edit own interview to his liking

As his testimony continues, former CEO of Walla news site recalls ‘any negative item led to outburst’ from premier’s vicinity

By TOI staff

Former CEO of the Walla news website Ilan Yeshua arrives for his testimony at in the case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the District Court in Jerusalem, April 7, 2021 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

April 9, 2021, 9:17 pm

First week of Netanyahu corruption trial paints grim picture of Israeli media

Key prosecution witness, ex-Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua, describes one of country’s leading news outlets as being almost completely controlled by the premier ahead of the 2015 election

By Judah Ari Gross

Former Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua at the Jerusalem District Court for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial, April 7, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

April 7, 2021, 7:30 pm

Ex-news site CEO: I was told to ax Sara Netanyahu item or I’d sink business deal

Wrapping up 1st week of testimony in PM’s trial, Ilan Yeshua says Walla owner Elovitch angrily warned him bad press for PM’s wife would wreck his bid to buy TV provider’s shares

By Judah Ari Gross and TOI staff

Ilan Yeshua at the Jerusalem District Court for a court hearing in the corruption case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, April 7, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

April 7, 2021, 12:09 pm

PM’s aides had veto over top roles at Walla, Yeshua says in 3rd day of testimony

As graft trial continues in Jerusalem, news site’s ex-CEO says he was warned negative coverage of Netanyahu would hurt Bezeq, claiming implication of quid pro quo deal was ‘clear’

By Michael Bachner