Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly vowed Tuesday to reject corruption allegations against him as he began testifying in his lengthy trial, becoming the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant.
The testimony is another low point for Israel’s longest-serving leader, who also faces an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Israel’s war in Gaza.
In his opening testimony before a packed Tel Aviv court, Netanyahu said he was a dedicated leader and defender of Israel’s interests, dismissing the charges against him as a “drop in the bucket.” in relation to the challenges he had to face to protect his country. .
But the accusations have torn apart divisions in Israel and complicated Netanyahu’s legacy, which has also been tainted by the conflict in Gaza and the growing international isolation Israel faces because of it.
Speaking freely and appearing at ease, Netanyahu said he could balance his trial appearance with his duties as prime minister at a time when Israel still fights a conflict in Gaza and faces the fall of Bashar al-Assad. -Assad in neighboring Syria.
“I waited eight years to tell the truth,” Netanyahu said, standing at a podium, with his son Avner and several members of his Likud party seated in the courtroom benches. He said his testimony would “punch holes in the absurd accusations.”
Netanyahu will respond in court appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
He is accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for help with his personal and business interests. He is also accused of promoting beneficial regulations for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of himself and his family.
Netanyahu, 75, denies any wrongdoing, saying the accusations constitute a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system aimed at overthrowing his long rule. His testimony caps years of scandal that swirled around him and his family, who gained a reputation for living lavish lives at taxpayers’ expense.
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Netanyahu’s testimony is taking place in an underground courtroom, fortified for security reasons. In front of the courthouse, dozens of protesters gathered, both supporters of Netanyahu and his opponents. A banner displayed outside read “Minister of Crime” while each side chanted slogans. Some families of hostages held in Gaza also demonstrated.
At the start of his testimony, a judge told Netanyahu that he had the same privileges as other witnesses and could sit or stand as he wished.
Netanyahu has given his version of events and shared personal details about his life that he hopes will shape the judges’ perception of him. He said that early in his career in public service he would lose sleep over the media coverage, but he learned that it had no significant impact – contrary to the prosecution’s attempts to portray him as obsessed with his image.
He said he smoked cigars but could barely finish them due to his workload and that he hated champagne.
Before the testimony began, Netanyahu’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, accused the Israeli justice system of fabricating the charges in an attempt to frame Netanyahu.
“There was a huge effort… to find a few pieces of a puzzle that are not connected to each other,” Haddad said, as Netanyahu sat on a bench behind him. “In court, in broad daylight, you see everything collapse.”
The testimony, which will take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up much of Netanyahu’s working hours, prompting critics to question whether he is capable of managing a country mired in conflict on a single front, containing the fallout of a second, and keep an eye on other potential regional threats, notably those from Iran.
His lawyer requested that he be allowed to receive notes during his testimony to ensure he could continue to lead the country, and at times during the trial, Netanyahu did so.
Under Israeli law, indicted prime ministers are not required to resign. But the accusations against Netanyahu have driven deep divisions in Israel, with protesters demanding his resignation and former political allies refusing to serve in the Israeli leader’s government, sparking a political crisis that has led to five elections in less than four years. from 2019.
Netanyahu’s supporters view the charges as the result of bias and excesses in the justice system.
Despite pressure, Netanyahu rejected calls to resign and used his position as prime minister to attack law enforcement, the media and the courts.
An Israeli court rejected a request from Netanyahu’s lawyers to reduce the planned number of hours of testimony, as well as several other requests to delay its start, which they said was necessary because of the prime minister’s busy schedule and important challenges facing the country. A verdict is not expected until 2026 at the earliest and Netanyahu will have the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Since the trial began in 2020, the court has heard prosecution witnesses in all three cases, including some of Netanyahu’s closest former aides who became prosecution witnesses. The prosecution attempted to portray the prime minister as an image-obsessed leader who broke the law to improve his public perception.
Netanyahu’s testimony could further tarnish his image in a complicated period. His popular support plummeted after the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, with public opinion blaming its leaders for failing to prevent the attack, and if elections were held today, he would struggle to form a government. Israel continues to fight Hamas in Gaza without seeing an end, despite strong international pressure to end the conflict, as well as pressure from the families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters to bring their loved ones home.
The Israeli leader and his former defense minister also face an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes charges related to the Gaza conflict. The mandate puts Netanyahu in the same company as Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir.