Like Israel’s political turmoil, largely a byproduct of Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal troubles, the former prime minister’s corruption trial – and front-runner in today’s election. Tuesday – no clear outcome.
The Israeli constituency remains divided between supporters of Mr. Netanyahu, who believe he is bound by a deeply liberal state, and a range of his opponents, who argue that he does not like him. fit to return to the office he was ousted 16 months ago.
Mr. Netanyahu denied any wrongdoing and said that cases against him is collapsing in court.
The trial itself was lame, largely forgotten, and barely featured in this election campaign, perhaps reflecting the fatigue of voters returning to the ballot box for the second time. year in less than four years.
As the Jerusalem District Court is seeking to pass a list of more than 300 witnesses, court proceedings rarely make headlines today. Public interest waned as the legal story came out.
Mr. Netanyahu has charged three years ago, after more than two years of police investigation, in three separate but linked cases. They involve allegations that he gave or offered lucrative official favors to several media moguls in exchange for favorable news for him and his family, or gifts. worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Current law requires an ordinary government minister to resign upon indictment but allows a prime minister to remain in office until a final court decision, after appeals have been exhausted – a process that, at the current pace of court proceedings, could take years.
The court is hearing all three cases side-by-side, rather than hearing one case after another, slowing the prospect of a ruling on any of them.
About 20 witnesses have testified so far. The first witness to take a stand, in April 2021, was Ilan Yeshua, the former chief executive officer of Walla, the Hebrew news website owned by a media mogul at the center of the bribery allegations exposed against Mr. Netanyahu. Yeshua’s testimony lasted for several months.
Two former confidants of Mr. Netanyahu who became state witnesses also testified.
The most recent testimony came from Hollywood producer driver Arnon Milchan and an Australian billionaire, James Packer, who between them sent gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem. and sometimes to the Netanyahu family home. home in the seaside town of Caesarea, mainly in the form of a regular supply of luxury cigars and Champagne cases.
In return, Mr. Netanyahu is accused of acting in favor of Mr. Milchan in obtaining visas, tax exemptions and business mergers.
Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right religious far-right party in Netanyahu’s bloc, announced a comprehensive overhaul of the justice system, including the removal of fraud and breach of trust crimes from the ministry. criminal law.
Mr. Netanyahu insisted that any such changes would not apply to him retroactively. But to exclude him from such a legal amendment would require him to become an exception under the law.
