Benjamin Netanyahu has become the first incumbent Israeli prime minister to appear in court as a criminal defendant, taking the stand more than four years after his trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust began.
The 75-year-old maintains his innocence, arguing that the three separate cases against him are politically motivated.
Israel’s longest-serving leader is accused of granting regulatory favours in exchange for positive press coverage, and of receiving expensive gifts in return for political favours. If found guilty, he could face years in prison.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Netanyahu described the corruption trial as a “political hunt”, which had “ruined the lives of dozens of people” caught up in it.
Many of Netanyahu’s ministers and other political allies arrived at the courtroom on Tuesday to lend him their support, with Likud politician Amit Halevi calling the trial an anti-Netanyahu “hate crime”.
“Don’t be impressed by the morning headlines in the newspapers, even dead fish would be ashamed if they were wrapped in them,” the backbencher said.
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Meanwhile, speaking on the eve of his testimony, Netanyahu’s political opponents said the prime minister had repeatedly undermined his country in a bid to protect himself from prosecution.
“Every trick and stunt Netanyahu tried to do to prevent his trial failed, and he will also fail the test of the trial itself. Israel will win,” said Yair Golan, the chairman of the Democrats party.
The corruption trial has been postponed multiple times, first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently because of the war in Gaza.
However, an Israeli court rejected Netanyahu’s latest request for a delay because of security concerns. He will now have to testify three days a week, at a time when Israel is busy waging its war in Gaza, handling a fragile ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and grappling with the fall of the Assad regime in neighbouring Syria.
The corruption case has long divided Israel, as was demonstrated by the dozens of Netanyahu supporters and critics who gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday to express their opposing views.
Netanyahu’s legal woes led some of his former allies to split from him. In the ensuing political turmoil, four elections were held within five years, with the current prime minister returning to power in 2022, thanks to his coalition with the far right.
Before Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Netanyahu had attempted to overhaul the judiciary, leading to mass protests from Israelis concerned about the erosion of democracy.
Netanyahu is giving his testimony from a bunker in Tel Aviv rather than in the usual courtroom in Jerusalem on the advice of the country’s security agency.
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Early in his court appearance on Tuesday, Netanyahu, who is nicknamed “the Magician” by his admirers for his political survival skills, railed against the accusations.
The prime minister said it was “simply ridiculous” that he had been accused of seeking “enjoyment and leisure” in one of the charges.
In Case 1000, he is accused of receiving tens of thousands of dollars worth of gifts, such as cigars and champagne, from businessmen to whom he offered diplomatic support.
As well as his legal troubles at home, Netanyahu now faces problems abroad. Last month, the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest over alleged war crimes in Gaza, where more than 44,500 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in the past 14 months.
