Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is testifying for the first time in his trial for corruption. He is the first sitting prime minister of Israel to face a criminal trial.
Netanyahu must answer to charges of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
Both opponents and supporters of the prime minister gathered outside the court, where the session is being held under tight security.
The court appearance comes as Netanyahu also faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes amid Israel’s offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip in response to the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attacks in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Assails media
Netanyahu has resumed his testimony by repeating claims from last night that Israeli citizens are frustrated with Israeli media and not with him, DW correspondent Emily Gordine says.
Speaking directly to the chief judge in the small courtroom, he said huge damage was being caused by the “monolithic nature” of Israeli media.
He called media in Israel “mobilized” and “biased,” saying that it was of existential importance to “diversify opinions in the media, so it won’t only report from one side of hte political map.”
Netanyahu said he felt US media covered the war more than “Israel’s biased media,” making him realize how existential impartiality is.
“[The media] are party to the conflict … the distance between the media and any sort of ethics is an abyss,” he said, adding that he had failed to return the media back to any form of professionalism
Responding to a question from Judge Baram, Netanyahu continued to inveigh against the media: “Its like if 75% of the public wants meat, but 98% of supermarkets only serve vegan food.”
He added that he had found a way to make his views known by circumventing mainstream media. “Then I discovered the internet … unimpeded access to the public … You get 2 million views! It gives you the ability to overcome this monolith.”
Responding to a question from his lawyer as to how much he is bothered by the accusations against him, he said, “If I tell you it’s a drop in the ocean, it would be an exaggeration. I’m busy with matters of world importance.”
He is up against three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019: Case 1000, Case 2000, and Case 4000, which include allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Analysts and observers say that in his efforts to avoid the trials and possible conviction, Netanyahu has been extending and expanding Israel’s assault on the besieged Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria
The trial, which began in May 2020, has been delayed several times and is now scheduled for December 10.
Netanyahu’s legal team has attempted to request delays in the trial.
DW/ Al Jazeera