Netanyahu assails media as he testifies for first time in his corruption trial

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

December 10, 2024 6:47 AM EST Updated 2 hours ago


TEL AVIV, Dec 10 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the witness stand for the first time on Tuesday in his long-running corruption trial, saying he was being hounded for his hawkish security policies.

Netanyahu, 75, is Israel's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. He is testifying at the same time Israel is engaged in a war in Gaza and facing possible new threats posed by regional turmoil, including in Syria. Last week judges ruled that Netanyahu, indicted in 2019, must testify three times a week, forcing the longtime Israeli leader to juggle between the courtroom and the war room at Israel's Defence Ministry, minutes away from the courthouse.

The leader of the right-wing Likud party, Netanyahu assailed the Israeli media for what he called its leftist stance and accused journalists of having hounded him for years because his policies did not align with a push for a Palestinian state. "I have been waiting for eight years for this moment to tell the truth," Netanyahu told the three-judge court. “But I am also a prime minister … I am leading the country through a seven-front war. And I think the two can be done in parallel."

Prosecutors accuse Netanyahu of granting regulatory favours worth around 1.8 billion shekels (about $500 million) to Bezeq Telecom Israel (BEZQ.TA) in return for positive coverage of himself and his wife Sara on a news website controlled by the company's former chairman.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/netanyahu-take-stand-his-corruption-trial-first-time-2024-12-09/

[Jacson6]

1. The problem isn't his corruption. It is the fact that the media is reporting the corruption.

Shoot the messenger!

[BumRushDaShow]

2. And ironically

the case is about him "buying a messenger" for himself...

[sakabatou]

4. Sounds like some asshat in bad make-up we know

[tornado34jh]

3. Isn't it telling how right-wing idiots like Trump and Netanyahu accuse the media of hounding them

They are like two peas in a pod. The reality is, both are corrupt, and really Netanyahu has no right to complain. He has a lot to answer for, and it isn't just the whole bribery thing. For me anyway, they at least are not downplaying his corruption there unlike here in the US. He is no friend of the US.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Bibi has been prolong the attacks on Gaza to try to stay out of court

I am glad that Bibi is being forced to testify

Link to tweet

NEW: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stand on Tuesday to testify in his long-running corruption trial.

Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 for corruption, fraud, and breach of trust. Despite repeatedly requesting an extension because of Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon, the courts said he must be available to testify three times a week for six hours at a time over the next few weeks.

Why can’t Trump face trial as president when plenty of other democracies let their leaders do it?