Benjamin Netanyahu became the first sitting prime minister in Israel’s history to take the witness stand in his own corruption trial on Tuesday.
Israel’s prime minister, who is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three different cases, repeated his claim that he is subject of a witch hunt.
He appeared in Tel Aviv district court, saying: “I have waited eight years for this moment, to say the truth as I remember it, which is important for justice. There is no justice without truth.
“This is the opportunity to dispel the allegations against me. There is a great absurdity in the charges and great injustice,” he added.
Police first opened an investigation into Mr Netanyahu’s alleged corruption in 2016 and Avichai Mandelblit, Israel’s attorney general at the time, formally indicted him in 2019.
In Case 1000, Mr Netanyahu is accused of accepting gifts worth about 700,000 Israeli shekels (£153,500), including cigars and champagne, from the Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and the Australian billionaire James Packer.
In return, Mr Netanyahu allegedly helped Mr Milchan with his US visa and pressured the finance ministry to double the length of visa exemption period for Israelis returning from abroad.
In Case 2000, he is accused of seeking a quid pro-quo deal with Yediot Aharonot, one of the biggest newspapers in Israel.
In 2014, Mr Netanyahu allegedly sought a deal with Arnon Mozes, the paper’s publisher, in which he would get favourable media coverage in return for passing legislation that would damage the paper’s main rival, Israel Hayom.
Case 4000 revolves around another deal where Mr Netanyahu is accused of trying to obtain favourable media coverage from the news site Walla!.
In return, he would allegedly promote regulations that would greatly benefit Shaul Elovitch, the shareholder of the Israeli telecom giant Bezeq, which owns Walla!
‘Bibi to prison’
The trial has been delayed numerous times because of Covid, sabbatical from judges and, more recently, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Hundreds of pro and anti-Netanyahu demonstrators protested outside the court, while several of his ministers appeared in a show of support.
A journalist for the AFP news agency outside the court reported that the prime minister’s supporters chanted “Netanyahu, the people support you”, while protesters who have been rallying against him for months chanted “Bibi to prison”.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Israeli national security minister and member of the security cabinet, echoed Mr Netanyahu’s claim that he is the victim of a campaign to oust him, while calling on Gali-Baharav Miara, the current Israeli attorney general, to be fired.
“I say something very simple: It is clear to everyone that she is fabricating cases,” Mr Ben-Gvir said, referring to the attorney general.
Mr Netanyahu’s critics claim that the legal cases, and the hearings that have taken place so far, will finally serve justice to a corrupt politician who will do anything to stay in power.
They also accuse him of intentionally prolonging the 14-month conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon to evade justice.