Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared at the Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday to begin his testimony in his corruption trial. Netanyahu was indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust on three counts. This is the first time in Israel's history, a sitting prime minister has testified in his own criminal trial — the testimony expected to last no less than two months.
Netanyahu arrived at the court house while ministers in his cabinet, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and lawmakers from his coalition gathered to support him. His son Avner was there as well. Protesters gathered outside the court including families of hostages held in Gaza who accused Netanyahu of delaying the release of their loved ones from captivity for political reasons.
Following 120 prosecution witnesses, the defense phase in Netanyahu’s “Case 1000, 2000 and 4000" trials begins with Netanyahu's testimony — a pivotal moment, as the prosecution's cross-examination will be crucial in determining the case's outcome. Netanyahu will take the stand from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and unusually, on Wednesday from 2:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Netanyahu has submitted four requests to the judges in the past month — asking for delays, reduction of testimony days and schedule changes — alongside petitions from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and Security Cabinet members. A petition to the High Court seeking to declare Netanyahu incapacitated during his testimony was also dismissed.
Amid threats against his life and attempts to alter the testimony's format, Netanyahu's testimony will take place in a secure underground hall in the Tel Aviv District Court, despite the trial being held thus far in the Jerusalem District Court, as required by law for indictments against a sitting prime minister. Last week, the Shin Bet recommended moving the testimony to Tel Aviv for security reasons.
The defense phase will begin with Netanyahu’s testimony followed by defense witnesses chosen by his legal team. The first day of testimony will open with a speech by Netanyahu's attorney, Amit Hadad, mirroring the opening statement by lead prosecutor Liat Ben-Ari during the prosecution phase.
After Netanyahu’s defense witnesses, testimony will proceed with the other defendants: Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynet publisher Arnon Mozes in Case 2000 and Shaul Elovitch in Case 4000, each presenting their own defense witnesses.
As with any witness, Netanyahu’s testimony will have two parts: direct examination by his attorney, featuring open-ended questions to align with the defense's strategy and cross-examination by Tel Aviv district attorney for tax and finance prosecutor Yehudit Tirosh for Case 4000 and her deputy Jonathan Tadmor for Cases 1000 and 2000.
Unlike the prosecution, which must notify the defense of its witnesses immediately after filing the indictment, the defense has no such obligation. However, it’s customary for the defense to inform the prosecution of its witnesses shortly before their testimony.
The defense has yet to disclose its witnesses but previously indicated plans to summon former Police Internal Investigations Unit heads Uri Carmel and Dovi Scherzer, Likud MK Moshe Saada and former Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to address the issue of the AG's approvals for launching investigations into the prime minister.
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Typically, prosecutors involved in a case don’t testify, and Mandelblit’s summon would require court approval if called on.
In a press conference held last night — his first in 99 days — Netanyahu addressed his upcoming testimony. "I've heard the media claim I want to evade the trial," he said. "Evade? What nonsense. For eight years, I've been waiting for this day — waiting to present the truth, waiting to completely dismantle the absurd and baseless accusations against me, waiting to expose the 'witch hunt' method once and for all."