Israeli prime minister denies corruption charges as he takes stand in his trial

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied corruption accusations on Tuesday as he began testifying in his trial.

Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendants in the country’s history.

Testifying before the Tel Aviv District Court in a fortified underground chamber, Netanyahu refuted accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, as well as attempting to manipulate media outlets to improve his public image.

The court barred media outlets from broadcasting the proceedings live.

Netanyahu is scheduled to testify six hours weekly over three days – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – until his testimony concludes.

The charges stem from cases labeled “Case 2000” and “Case 4000,” accusing Netanyahu of feathering his own nest to secure favorable media coverage for himself and his family.

According to the Times of Israel daily, Netanyahu used his testimony to reject accusations of media manipulation, while criticizing what he called a lack of “balance in the industry.”

“Israel used to be freer in terms of opinions in the early years of the state. Gradually, the diversity in opinions was reduced, until most editors and journalists came from the left-wing camp and shared left-wing opinions,” he said.

“We don’t want to take control of the media; we want to diversify the media. The most important thing is to add more TV stations that aren’t controlled by one camp, that’s what is essential,” he claimed.

The Israeli premier, whose corruption trial began in 2020, also denied accepting luxury gifts, including champagne and cigars, in exchange for political favors, calling the accusations “complete lies.”

Netanyahu’s requests to delay testimony, citing national security and international diplomatic efforts, were previously rejected by the court.

Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November over atrocities in Gaza.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio