Back before the judges, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again proclaimed his innocence on Monday, February 8, refuting the corruption charges against him.
"I reiterate the written responses submitted on my behalf," said the head of government who appeared before three magistrates, referring to a document sent to justice by his counsels in which he said he was innocent of accusations of corruption, fraud and abuse of confidence.
Netanyahu tried in three corruption cases
Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted in 2019. A first for a sitting Israeli prime minister.
He and his wife Sara are suspected of having accepted $ 265,000 in gifts (luxury cigars, champagne bottles and jewelry) from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian tycoon James Packer.
In this case, the Israeli prime minister said he had received a legal opinion from experts concluding that he had the right to accept gifts from close friends, including Arnon Milchan, and denies having granted any favors.
The head of government is also suspected of trying to get more lenient coverage from Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's most widely read paid daily, by offering the owner to pass unfavorable law in a competing title.
He reportedly did the same with the company Bezeq Telecom Israel, granting it privileges in exchange for more favorable coverage from a news site controlled by the telecoms company.
Netanyahu supporters fear influence over March vote
Monday's hearing comes the day after a reduction in health measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and after a postponement of the hearing initially scheduled for January.
His last trial, last May, was also cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
During his first appearance, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has no immunity, had just formed a unity government with his rival Benny Gantz.
But since then, demonstrations against the Prime Minister, nicknamed the "Crime Minister" by the protesters, have multiplied and the ruling coalition has broken down.
As a result, the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu is relaunched with 45 days of new elections scheduled for March 23 - the fourth in less than two years - which raises fears about a possible impact on the vote.
Yariv Levin, speaker of the Knesset and close to Benjamin Netanyahu, said in the Israel Hayom on Sunday that he feared "unprecedented interference by the judiciary in the elections" if the court presented its evidence "now" against the Prime Minister.
This new electoral battle is also far from being won for Benjamin Netanyahu, holder of the record for the longevity of Israeli heads of government with 15 years in power.
He hopes to win a majority of seats, to possibly get a judicial immunity vote afterwards.
According to the latest polls, his party, the Likud, remains in pole position in voting intentions.
But the Likud would not however manage to reach, with its various allies, the threshold of the majority (61).
With AFP and Reuters
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