Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take the stand as a criminal defendant on Tuesday in his lengthy trial for alleged corruption.
It is the first time an Israeli prime minister has taken the stand as a criminal defendant, an embarrassing milestone for a leader who has sought to cultivate an image as a respected statesman.
The trial is expected to be a week-long spectacle that will draw attention to his legal problems as he faces an international arrest warrant for war crimes and the fighting in Gaza continues.
Netanyahu will answer during his court appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
He is accused of accepting cigars and champagne worth tens of thousands of dollars from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for helping him with his personal and business interests.
He is also accused of promoting advantageous regulation for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage of him and his family.
Netanyahu, 75, denies any wrongdoing and says the charges are a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media and a biased legal system seeking to overthrow his long rule. His testimony caps years of scandals that have swirled around him and his family.
‘I have waited eight years for this day. Eight years I have waited to present the truth. “I am waiting eight years to once and for all demolish these misleading and absurd accusations against me,” Netanyahu said defiantly on the eve of his testimony.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will take the stand Tuesday in his lengthy trial for alleged corruption.
Netanyahu will answer during his court appearances to charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.
Protesters chant slogans and hold banners at a demonstration against Benjamin Netanyahu during his trial on corruption charges at the Tel Aviv District Court.
‘These investigations were born of sin. There was no crime, so they found a crime,’ he added.
Dozens of people gathered outside the court in Tel Aviv, some protesting against Netanyahu, including relatives of hostages held in Gaza. A banner placed in front of the court read: “Crime Minister.”
A group of his supporters were also present, holding signs and banners in support of the prime minister, and some at the rally spoke through a megaphone.
Netanyahu’s supporters see the charges as a result of the judicial system’s bias and overreach.
Under Israeli law, accused prime ministers are not required to resign.
But the charges against Netanyahu split deep divisions in Israel: Protesters demanded his resignation and former political allies refused to be part of the Israeli leader’s government, triggering a political crisis that led to five elections in less than four years. of 2019.
Despite the pressure, the polarizing Netanyahu has rejected calls to resign and used his position as prime minister to lash out at law enforcement, the media and the courts.
The testimony, which will take place six hours a day, three days a week for several weeks, will take up a significant portion of Netanyahu’s work hours.
Protesters raise a banner and placards at a demonstration in support of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his trial on corruption charges.
This has led critics to question whether it can capably handle a country embroiled in a war on one front, containing the fallout from a second and keeping an eye on other potential regional threats, including those from Iran or the recent fall of Bashar Assad in Syria. .
An Israeli court rejected a request by Netanyahu’s lawyers to reduce the scheduled hours of testimony, as well as several other requests to delay the start of testimony, which they said were necessary due to the prime minister’s busy schedule and the country’s significant challenges. .