Israel: new revelations in Netanyahu's corruption trial
In Israel, the corruption trial of former Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu continues and it is his former spokesperson, Nir Hefetz, who is called to testify.
Ronen Zvulun / Reuters
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
In Israel, the corruption trial of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues.
In recent weeks, it is his former spokesperson, Nir Hefetz, who has been called to testify.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem
,
Sami Boukhelifa
Nir Hefetz, this former close to Benjamin Netanyahu, revealed this Sunday before the judges that
the former head of the Israeli government
had yielded to the pressure of one of his sons on a security file, at the origin of a serious regional crisis.
It all started in the summer of 2017. Israeli Arabs kill two Israeli policemen at the entrance to the Mosque Plaza in East Jerusalem, part of the city annexed by Israel.
The government of Benjamin Netanyahu then announced the strengthening of security in the old city of Jerusalem, and the installation of metal detectors at the entrances to the third holy place of Islam.
The deployment of these porticoes is overwhelmingly rejected by the Palestinians.
They denounce the Israelis' desire to extend their hold over the Muslim sanctuary.
Ten days of violence followed and eight people were killed, five Palestinians and three Israelis.
Benjamin Netanyahu's son takes the lead
Only here, more than four years after the facts, the former spokesperson for
Benjamin Netanyahu
reveals that the installation of these metal detectors, which almost set the entire region ablaze, was not due to the former prime minister.
“
It was his son who was in the process
,” said Nir Hefetz, adding, “
It could have caused thousands of deaths.
"
It was this incident that persuaded Nir Hefetz to resign in September 2017. According to him, Benyamin Netanyahu was no longer able to make security decisions.
Likud, the party of Benyamin Netanyahu, calls these accusations "
absurd
."
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Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu
Justice
Corruption