Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces corruption trial as war intensifies in Gaza and dictator in neighboring Syria falls

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand Tuesday in a lengthy trial on corruption charges, setting off what is expected to be a weeks-long spectacle, with Netanyahu facing an international arrest warrant. This will draw unwanted attention to legal issues. war crimes and Fighting continues in Gaza. It will be the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister will take the stand as a criminal defendant, an embarrassing milestone for a leader who has sought to cultivate an image as a sophisticated and respected politician.

Prime Minister Netanyahu greeted the judge with a “hello” as he began his testimony. One judge said he had the same privileges as other witnesses and could sit or stand as he pleased.

“I have waited eight years for this moment to tell the truth,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from the podium in a packed Tel Aviv courtroom. He called the charges against him a “sea of ​​absurdity” and promised that his views would survive prosecutors’ case.

Netanyahu seemed relieved and began telling his version of events, sharing personal details about his life in hopes of influencing the judge’s perception of him. He said media coverage sometimes made him lose sleep, but he learned it meant nothing, contrary to how prosecutors tried to paint him as image-obsessed. .

He said he smoked cigars but could hardly finish them due to his workload and hated champagne. One case revolves around him receiving a “supply line” of cigars and champagne from a billionaire colleague.

His lawyers asked that he be allowed to take notes during his testimony so he can continue to run the country.

During his appearance in court, Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to answer charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery 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 supporting his personal and business interests. He is also accused of promoting regulations favorable to media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of himself and his family.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 75, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the charges a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system aimed at overthrowing his long-term government. . His testimony brings to an end a years-long scandal that has swirled around him and his family.

The testimony is scheduled to take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks and will take up a significant portion of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s working time, leading critics to argue that he will not be able to help the country embroiled in war. This raises questions about whether it can be managed from one side. Contain the impact of secondary disasters and continue to monitor potential threats in other regions, including Iran and recent terrorism. Bashar al-Assad, the longtime dictator in neighboring Syria, falls.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his testimony that he could “find a balance” between both commitments.

Dozens of people gathered outside the court in Tel Aviv, including families of hostages held in Gaza and a group of Netanyahu supporters, to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A banner hung in front of the courtroom read “Minister of Crime.”

Under Israeli law, a prime minister who is indicted does not have to resign. But the accusations against Prime Minister Netanyahu have torn deep rifts within Israel, with demonstrators demanding his resignation and former political allies refusing to serve in government under the Israeli leader. , sparking a political crisis that led to five elections in less than four years starting in 2019. The political turmoil of just two years ago was resolved by an agreement with a small right-wing party that had long been on the fringes of Israeli politics. establish the most far-right government in the country Until now.

Netanyahu’s supporters see the charges as the result of bias and overreach in the judicial system, but opposition intensifies in Gaza as Netanyahu seeks to distract from, if not delay, his own court proceedings. They are accused of prolonging the war. Prime Minister Netanyahu issued a statement against Gaza’s Hamas rulers shortly after carrying out a brutal terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. started a war.

Despite pressure, the polarizing Prime Minister Netanyahu has rejected calls to resign and has used his position as prime minister to lash out at law enforcement, the media and the courts.

An Israeli court rejected a request by Netanyahu’s lawyers to shorten the scheduled testimony time and several other requests to delay the start, saying it was necessary because of the prime minister’s busy schedule and the country’s critical challenges. A verdict is not expected until 2026 at the earliest, and Prime Minister Netanyahu has the option of appealing to the Supreme Court.

The court has spent months hearing several prosecution witnesses, some of Netanyahu’s former closest aides turned state witnesses, in three cases. Prosecutors have sought to portray the prime minister as a leader obsessed with an image of breaking the law to raise public awareness.

The most damaging incident for Prime Minister Netanyahu was the influence-spreading scandal in which two of Netanyahu’s former aides testified against him on suspicion of pushing for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of regulations on Israel’s Bezeq telecommunications company. It’s related. In return, Bezeq’s popular news site, Walla, He is said to have provided favorable coverage of Prime Minister Netanyahu. and his family.

Prime Minister Netanyahu also allegedly proposed legislation to the newspaper that would weaken the paper’s main rivals in exchange for more favorable coverage.

Additionally, the Prime Minister received nearly $200,000 in champagne and cigars from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan in return. It is said that the surgery was performed on behalf of Milchan. Regarding U.S. visa issues, they tried to legislate generous tax breaks for him and promoted his interests in the Israeli media market.

Netanyahu’s testimony could further damage his image at a complicated time for Israel’s longest-serving leader. After the October 2023 Hamas attack, his public support has declined, with the public accusing his leadership of failing to stop the attack, and if elections were held today, opinion polls would show It has been suggested that he will have a difficult time forming a new government.

Despite intense international pressure to end the war and pressure from families of hostages still held in Gaza and their supporters to return their loved ones, Israel We are still fighting Hamas in Gaza, with no end in sight.

Israeli leader and former defense minister also at risk of arrest Warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes The charges were related to the war in Gaza, but his office dismissed them as “absurd and false acts and charges.”

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