High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to as one of the crucial prosecution’s central claims in Case 2000 “absolutely absurd” on Wednesday, as wondering by means of the legal professionals for his co-defendants persevered in his prison trial, transferring from Yediot Aharonot writer Arnon “Noni” Mozes’s protection to that of former Bezeq controlling shareholders Shaul and Iris Elovitch.
The listening to on the Tel Aviv District Court docket used to be led first by means of Sharon Kleinman, Mozes’s lawyer, who sought to problem the prosecution’s competition that alleged understandings between Netanyahu and Mozes had been mirrored in much less unfavourable protection of the high minister by means of Yediot Aharonot and Ynet after their 6th assembly in December 2014.
“This thesis by the prosecution is absolutely absurd,” Netanyahu mentioned when requested to reply to the declare that the protection had shifted.
The unfavourable protection didn’t forestall, Netanyahu mentioned. “There was no break in the coverage,” he mentioned, describing it as constantly unfavourable.
Case 2000 facilities on recorded conversations between Netanyahu and Mozes forward of the 2015 election.
Netanyahu is charged within the case with fraud and breach of agree with, whilst Mozes is charged with providing and promising a bribe. Each deny wrongdoing.
Supporters of Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu display their fortify out of doors the PM’s place of abode in Jerusalem, following the announcement by means of Lawyer Normal Avichai Mandelblit the place he introduced his choice that PM Netanyahu will stand trial for bribery, fraud and breach of agree with. (credit score: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)Prosecution says Yediot, Ynet protection skewed by means of corruption
Kleinman’s wondering seemed geared toward taking the prosecution’s cross-examination and urgent Netanyahu at the broader theses that emerged from it, together with the ones no longer essentially laid out as standalone allegations within the indictment however utilized by the prosecution to fortify its narrative of the case.
In follow, Kleinman sought to check whether or not Yediot Aharonot and Ynet’s protection might be handled as a part of the alleged receive advantages presented to Netanyahu, and whether or not any trade in tone after the December 2014 conferences supported the declare {that a} corrupt figuring out existed.
Kleinman informed Netanyahu that when the 6th assembly, verbal exchange between him and Mozes persevered for more or less some other month ahead of finishing badly, and instructed that protection had change into much less unfavourable all the way through that length.
Kleinman then introduced examples of unfavourable protection and requested Netanyahu to reply, in an obvious effort to undermine the prosecution’s studying of the media protection.
Netanyahu’s resolution used to be in keeping with his broader line all over Case 2000: that Yediot Aharonot and Ynet remained adversarial to him, that Mozes held important media and political energy, and that the conversations weren’t a corrupt cut price however a part of Netanyahu’s try to forestall or blunt regulation that might have harmed Israel Hayom.
The trial has many times been suffering from Netanyahu’s safety and diplomatic time table, together with shortened or canceled listening to days, whilst the courtroom has persevered to take a look at to transport ahead in a case that opened in 2020 and wherein Netanyahu’s testimony started in December 2024.
Chen referred to an inside document by means of former Walla CEO Ilan Yeshua on site visitors to the web page and mentioned that “this website was as sidelined as a website could get.”
Bezeq, Walla house owners co-defendants in Case 4000, bribery, fraud, breach of agree with
In Case 4000, Netanyahu is charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of agree with over allegations that regulatory advantages had been complex for Bezeq in change for favorable protection on Walla. Shaul and Iris Elovitch also are defendants within the case and deny wrongdoing.
Netanyahu may be charged with fraud and breach of agree with in Case 1000, over presents allegedly gained from rich businessmen. Netanyahu denies all fees and has many times described the instances as politically motivated.
After the present wondering by means of the co-defendants’ legal professionals concludes, Netanyahu’s personal protection staff is anticipated to behavior a brief re-evaluation.
